Hawaii prison visitation rules, mainland incarceration, and the WCCC dress code

INTRO

Hawaii's correctional system presents a challenge found nowhere else in this directory: a significant portion of the state's incarcerated population is held thousands of miles away on the mainland. Approximately 800 Hawaii inmates are currently housed at Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona - a 30-year practice that began in 1995 to relieve overcrowding. Lawmakers pushed hard in 2026 to end or reduce this practice (HB 1376), but as of the time this page was written, mainland incarceration continues.

For families with a loved one at Saguaro, the practical reality is stark: a round-trip flight from Honolulu to Phoenix costs hundreds of dollars, Saguaro is in the Sonoran Desert midway between Phoenix and Tucson, and visiting rules are governed by CoreCivic's facility policies - not Hawaii DCR's. This page covers Hawaii's in-state facilities. If your loved one is at Saguaro, see the Saguaro Correctional Center page on InmateAid for Arizona visitation rules.

Hawaii's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) - renamed from the Department of Public Safety (HDPS) on January 1, 2024 - operates facilities on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Maui. The largest is Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) in Honolulu.

CONFIRM LOCATION FIRST

Before planning any visit, confirm where your loved one is actually housed. Hawaii inmates can be at:

- OCCC - Oahu (Honolulu) - largest facility, pretrial and sentenced

- Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) - Oahu (Aiea) - medium security men's

- Waiawa Correctional Facility (WCF) - Oahu - minimum security men's

- Kulani Correctional Facility - Hawaii Island

- Women's Community Correctional Center (WCCC) - Oahu (Kailua) - women's

- Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) - Maui

- Hawaii Community Correctional Center (HCCC) - Hawaii Island (Hilo)

- Kauai Community Correctional Center (KCCC) - Kauai

- Saguaro Correctional Center - Eloy, Arizona (CoreCivic - NOT Hawaii DCR rules)

DCR Offender Search: dcr.hawaii.gov

DCR HQ: 919 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96814 / (808) 587-1340

OCCC - OAHU COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER

OCCC is Hawaii's largest facility - 16 acres in urban Honolulu, housing both pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates.

All visits at OCCC are non-contact and must be prescheduled. There are no walk-in contact visits at OCCC.

Approved visitor list process:

- During the first week of incarceration, the inmate submits a list of visitors to the Visitation Officer

- The list may not exceed 12 people (family and friends combined)

- The Visitation Officer typically approves visitors within 30 days

- During the initial 30 days: immediate family members (father, mother, siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, spouse, children) may visit with proof of relationship

- After 30 days: only people on the approved list may visit

- If an inmate is released and returns to the facility, the entire visitation list becomes invalid and must be resubmitted

Schedule: OCCC Visitation Schedule and Guidelines updated January 31, 2025. Contact OCCC directly or check dcr.hawaii.gov/about/divisions/corrections/occc/ for the current schedule. OCCC: 2199 Kamehameha Highway, Honolulu, HI 96819 / (808) 832-1777

Video visitation: Available through GTL/ViaPath tablet system (effective September 2021). Schedule through GTL ConnectNetwork.

Rule violation consequences: Visitors who violate rules and refuse to leave when directed face trespassing charges. Visitation privileges may be suspended for up to one year from the date of the violation.

WCCC - WOMEN'S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER

WCCC published comprehensive Facility Guidelines and Procedures in March 2026 - one of the most detailed visitation documents in the directory. Key provisions unique to Hawaii:

DRESS CODE - HAWAII-SPECIFIC PROHIBITIONS:

WCCC's dress code has items that are unique in the entire directory - directly reflecting Hawaii's culture:

What you cannot wear (WCCC-specific items):

- Leis of any kind - traditional Hawaiian leis are prohibited

- Fresh flowers or flower ornaments of any kind

- Sarongs or beach wear

- Hair ornaments including curlers, scrunchies, clips, hair combs, hair picks, binders, stickpins, or flowers in hair

- Only an elastic rubber band may be used to hold hair up or back

- Strapless tops, spaghetti strap tops, bathing suits, or tank tops

- See-through, revealing, or provocative clothing

- Metal objects in clothing - must clear the metal detector

Standard dress code prohibitions (WCCC, applies to all visitors):

- Revealing, suggestive, or see-through clothing

- Proper undergarments required

- Medical alert bracelets, ID tags, and medical devices noted - notify staff

WCCC requires ALL adult visitors to sign the Notice of Consent to Search form (DCR 8252) as a condition of entry. This is a written consent form - not just an implied consent at the metal detector. Refusing to sign means you will not be admitted.

Strip searches: WCCC reserves the right to conduct a strip search when there is probable cause or reasonable suspicion. Refusing the strip search results in denial of the visit.

Infant and toddler note: Breastfeeding is not permitted in WCCC's visiting areas.

WCCC address: 42-477 Kalanianaole Highway, Kailua, HI 96734 / (808) 266-9586

HALAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Halawa is Hawaii's largest medium-security prison for men - designed for 496, recently housed 818 (significantly overcrowded per 2026 reports). Located at 99-902 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI 96701 / (808) 485-5200.

Contact HCF directly for current visitation schedule and visitor application requirements.

VIDEO VISITATION - GTL/VIAPATHSYSTEM

Hawaii DCR uses GTL (Global Tel Link / ViaPath) for video visitation and inmate tablets at most facilities.

Effective September 2021: inmates have access to tablets provided by GTL allowing video visit calls and other program services.

Scheduling: Through GTL ConnectNetwork at connectnetwork.com

Effective February 2018: all inmate phone calls through GTL.

Video visits follow the same dress code and conduct rules as in-person visits.

SAGUARO CORRECTIONAL CENTER - FOR MAINLAND-HOUSED HAWAII INMATES

Approximately 800 Hawaii state inmates are housed at:

Saguaro Correctional Center (CoreCivic)

1250 East Arica Road, Eloy, Arizona 85131

Phone: (520) 464-6000

Operated by: CoreCivic (private)

Contracted by: Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Visitation at Saguaro follows CoreCivic/Saguaro facility rules - NOT Hawaii DCR rules. Arizona DCR rules do not apply either (it is a private facility under Hawaii contract). Families visiting Saguaro should:

1. Contact Saguaro directly at (520) 464-6000 for current visitation schedule and visitor application requirements

2. Check InmateAid's Saguaro Correctional Center page for facility-specific information

3. Confirm whether Tuesday visits apply (Saguaro historically reserves Tuesdays for Special Management Inmates - segregation, SHIP, and PC - other inmates' unit teams control visit scheduling)

Travel context: Eloy, Arizona is approximately 50 miles south of Phoenix and 70 miles north of Tucson. The nearest city with significant amenities is Casa Grande. From Honolulu, this is a 6-hour trip minimum including flight time. Lawmakers are actively working to bring these inmates back to Hawaii (HB 1376, April 2026) but the practice continues.

The human cost: A 2010 Office of Hawaiian Affairs report found that out-of-state incarceration results in significant trauma to prisoners and families - one former inmate stated he "lost his family - wife and kids" after serving five years on the mainland. Advocates have long documented that mainland incarceration disrupts family ties, legal support, and successful reentry into Hawaiian communities.

NO FEDERAL BOP RRC IN HAWAII

Hawaii is one of only two states in this directory (along with Vermont) with no federal Bureau of Prisons Residential Reentry Center. The Mahoney Hale federal RRC in Honolulu closed in 2019 and has not been replaced.

Federal inmates from Hawaii who are approaching release are placed in BOP RRCs on the mainland - typically in California or the Pacific Northwest - under RRM San Francisco. This means federal inmates near release face the same geographic separation from family as state inmates at Saguaro.

Federal inmates in Hawaii are housed at: FDC Honolulu (Federal Detention Center, 351 Elliott Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 / (808) 838-4200). FDC Honolulu handles pretrial and short-term federal holds. It operates under BOP Program Statement 5267.09.

For federal inmates approaching release: contact BOP RRM San Francisco (7950 Dublin Blvd., 3rd Floor, Dublin, CA 94568 / (925) 803-4700) for RRC placement information.

HAWAII'S 5 COUNTIES

Hawaii has 5 counties - unusual in that they include entire islands or island groups:

- Honolulu County (Oahu island) - all OCCC, Halawa, Waiawa, WCCC

- Hawaii County (Big Island) - Kulani CF, HCCC

- Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lanai + Kalawao) - MCCC

- Kauai County (Kauai, Niihau) - KCCC

- Kalawao County - the smallest county in the US (~90 residents), administered jointly with Maui County

SEX OFFENDER VISITOR RESTRICTIONS

Hawaii Revised Statutes §846E governs sex offender registration. Hawaii does not publish a specific blanket prohibition on registered sex offenders visiting correctional facilities at the state policy level - but individual facilities may impose restrictions based on the inmate's offense history or conditions of probation/parole. Contact the specific facility before applying.

REENTRY CONNECTION

Hawaii has no traditional halfway house system. The Mahoney Hale federal RRC closed in 2019. Federal releases from Hawaii are placed at mainland RRCs. See our Hawaii halfway houses page at inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/hawaii/ for current reentry resources.