Hawaii Released Inmates

Searching for Hawaii released inmates takes you through the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the statewide SAVIN notification tool, and each county police department. The state keeps one roster for adults sentenced to custody. The names roll in and out as people finish terms, post bail, or move to work furlough. You can look up a person by first and last name, by offender ID, or by facility. This page points you to the right Hawaii released inmates search tool for each county, each jail, and the federal holdings at FDC Honolulu.

Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs every state prison and jail in Hawaii. The agency used to be called the Department of Public Safety. That name changed on January 1, 2024. The new name puts the focus on rehab and reentry. Over 95% of the people held in these facilities will be released at some point. That is why the DCR spends so much time on programs that prepare inmates to return to the community. Its main office sits at 1177 Alakea Street, Room 400, Honolulu, HI 96813. The general line is (808) 587-1350. Visit dcr.hawaii.gov for facility lists, visitation rules, and reentry programs.

A separate agency now handles law enforcement work. The Department of Law Enforcement was created in 2024 to hold the Sheriff Division and Narcotics Enforcement. That split keeps the corrections side focused on custody and release. Hawaii released inmates records move through both agencies. The DCR keeps roster data. The police side keeps arrest data. Both must follow the same public records law.

The DCR runs several core sites. Halawa Correctional Facility in Aiea is the largest. Waiawa in Waipahu is minimum security. Kulani on the Big Island is also minimum. The Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua holds all female state inmates. Each one has a visitor hotline and a release planning unit.

The DCR website shows inmate services, facility addresses, and links to SAVIN.

The DCR page links directly to the inmate search widget for Hawaii released inmates. Use it to check status, location, and projected release date.

SAVIN Inmate Lookup for Hawaii

The Hawaii SAVIN system gives you 24/7 free access to custody data on state inmates. SAVIN stands for Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification. It runs on the national VINE platform. You do not need to give your name. You do not need to say why you are looking. The tool is free. Search by offender ID or by first and last name. You can also narrow by date of birth or age range.

Sign up to get alerts when the status of a Hawaii released inmate changes. You pick phone, email, or text. The system sends a note when the person is released, moved, or up for parole. Many victims use SAVIN to know when an offender will be out. Others use it to track a family member. The tool covers state DCR inmates only. It does not show federal inmates. It does not show people still in a police cellblock waiting to be booked.

Reach SAVIN through VINELink or hawaiipolice.gov. The SAVIN coordinator is at (808) 587-2550.

Above is the SAVIN portal run by the Hawaii Police Department. It walks you through the lookup step by step. Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 353 spells out the DCR's duty to track inmates and report changes. See HRS Chapter 353 for the full text.

Call (808) 961-2213 for East Hawaii arrest info. Call (808) 326-4646, ext. 293, for West Hawaii. Those lines give out recent booking data when the online tool is slow.

Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center

The Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, or HCJDC, sits inside the Department of the Attorney General. It runs the statewide criminal history system called CJIS-Hawaii. The HCJDC issues what most people call a Police Clearance or Police Abstract. Those reports list only adult conviction records. Non-conviction info is kept private by state law.

Arrest records that ended in convictions are open. The public can see them at access sites statewide. They also show up on the eCrim website. A print-out at a public site costs $25. A name-based online search through ecrim.ehawaii.gov costs $5. Certified copies cost $10. Mail-in requests use form HCJDC-073. Those cost $30 with an add-on $20 for certification. Fingerprint checks run $55 in person, $35 by mail, and take 3 to 10 business days.

The HCJDC office sits at the Kekuanaoa Building, 465 S. King Street, Room 102, Honolulu, HI 96813. Office hours run 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed for lunch noon to 1:00 p.m. The CHRC Unit line is (808) 587-3279. See ag.hawaii.gov/hcjdc for the forms.

Public access sites are spread across the islands. Find the full list at the HCJDC public access page.

Public access sites include the main HCJDC office on Oahu, the Hawaii Police Department in Hilo, the Kona Police Station, Kauai County Police in Lihue, and Maui County Police in Wailuku.

Adult Criminal Conviction Lookup

eCrim is Hawaii's online conviction lookup. Make an account first. Then search by name. Each search is $5. A certified report is $10. The system logs you out after 30 minutes of no use. That keeps data safe.

eCrim only returns adult conviction data. It does not show juvenile records. It does not show sealed or expunged records. It does not show pending cases. You can print results or save them for later. Certified copies work for licensing boards and some legal filings.

Hawaii Uniform Information Practices Act

Most Hawaii released inmates records are open to the public under the Uniform Information Practices Act. That law sits in Chapter 92F of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. It passed in 1988. The Office of Information Practices administers it. Section 92F-11(b) says each agency must make government records open for inspection and copying during regular business hours, unless a clear rule keeps them closed.

Section 92F-12 is the key one. It requires agencies to release "directory information concerning presence in state facility" and "information relating to persons confined to correctional facilities." That means the state must hand over the basic roster. Names. Booking dates. Release dates. Facility. OIP Opinion Letter No. 89-14 made this clear. Under OIP guidance, agencies must disclose inmate roster listings and may withhold only social security numbers and similar private data.

The OIP site has rules, opinions, and a sample Request to Access a Government Record form. That form is Appendix A of the UIPA manual. You can send it to any agency that holds records on Hawaii released inmates. The agency must answer within 10 working days. They can extend to 20 working days in unusual cases if they tell you in writing. Section 92F-13 spells out the real exceptions. Records that would cause an unwarranted invasion of privacy can be held back. Records that would pose a risk to facility security can be held back. Social security numbers and medical data under section 92F-14 can be withheld.

OIP Op. Ltr. No. 90-34 ruled that inmates count as "persons" under UIPA. They have a right to access DCR policies and procedures. That right applies to the full Table of Contents.

Hawaii eCourt Kokua

The Hawaii State Judiciary runs eCourt Kokua. This portal shows traffic cases, District Court cases, Circuit Court criminal and civil cases, Family Court adult cases, Land Court and Tax Appeal Court matters, and appellate cases. It is the main way to confirm what a Hawaii released inmate was convicted of and what sentence the judge handed down.

The Ho'ohiki portal works alongside it. Ho'ohiki holds civil case documents filed in Circuit, District, and Family courts. There is a fee to buy copies. The Clerk of Court charges $5 to search and $1 for the first page, 50 cents for each extra page. Electronic copies are $10 each. Microfilmed records cost $1 per page plus $5 per case. Certification is $2 per document. Visit courts.hawaii.gov for the full fee schedule.

The Circuit Court for Honolulu is at 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, phone (808) 539-4300. Family Court sits at the Ronald T. Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei, phone (808) 954-8310. The District Court at Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, handles misdemeanors and traffic at (808) 538-5149.

Federal Inmates Held in Hawaii

Federal inmates do not show up in SAVIN. The Federal Bureau of Prisons runs its own search tool. FDC Honolulu at 351 Elliott Street, Honolulu, HI 96819, holds federal detainees before or during trial. The phone is (808) 838-4200. About 220 inmates stay there at any given time. It runs as administrative or high-security.

Use the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. Search by register number, DCDC number, INS number, FBI number, or name. Name searches need first, middle, and last name plus race, age, and sex. The system holds records for all federal inmates from 1982 to now.

Federal inmates released in Hawaii may go on supervised release. Those terms run through the U.S. District Court in Honolulu. Federal Hawaii released inmates records can be different from state files. They are not in the DCR system.

Death Records for Deceased Inmates

The Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records office holds death records for every death in the state. That includes any inmate who died in custody. HRS Section 338-18 blocks public access until the file is 75 years old. Before that, only family, legal reps, a spouse, or someone acting for the dead person can ask.

To ask for a death certificate, you need the full name, date of birth, date of death, and place of death. You need proof of your link to the person. Valid ID is required. The office mailing address is State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Issuance/Vital Statistics Section, P.O. Box 3378, Honolulu, HI 96801. See health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords for fees and forms.

The office handles expedited processing for an extra fee. Records may be needed for estate work, life insurance, or legal cases tied to a former inmate.

Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance

The Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division at the Department of the Attorney General publishes the annual "Crime in Hawaii" report. That report pulls data from every county police force. It lists arrests by county, by offense type, and by age, sex, and race. Index offenses include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Part II offenses cover fraud, drug cases, DUI, and more.

The CPJA page at ag.hawaii.gov/cpja hosts back issues. You can track trends year to year. The data helps show how many Hawaii released inmates return to custody and where reentry works best.

Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 353 is the core corrections law. Review it at capitol.hawaii.gov.

Chapter 353 spells out the DCR's authority, the Hawaii Paroling Authority, work furlough rules, and the interstate compact for transfers.

Hawaii Released Inmates by County

Hawaii has five counties. Each one has its own police force and its own jail. Pick a county below for local contact info and inmate search tools.

View All Hawaii Counties

Released Inmates in Major Hawaii Cities

Major cities on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai all route bookings through the county jail or through OCCC on Oahu. Pick a city below to find the right release info for that area.

View Major Hawaii Cities