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Fires, lockdowns twice at Oahu’s largest jail on Saturday

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    KALIHI, HAWAII (KITV) — Tensions running high at Oahu Community Correctional Center. The jail was on lockdown twice on Saturday, and there were two fires at the jail. That’s what multiple sources tell KITV4.

The Public Safety Department (PSD) confirms one fire. It tells us, “Due to the strains the facility is facing from the COVID-19 outbreak, lunch was served an hour late. Inmates became upset and attempted to start a small fire but it was quickly extinguished.”

Our sources tell us lunch is usually served at 10 a.m. but it was nearly 1 p.m. and there was no food yet, which is when the fire started. PSD says food service is now back on track.

Sources also say multiple civilian kitchen workers and inmate kitchen workers tested positive for COVID-19 in Module 18. That’s where the food is prepared, so it’s now drastically understaffed.

Multiple sources confirm that upset inmates burning paperback books caused the second fire. We’re told that one started in the Max Control Unit.

PSD does not confirm the second fire.

The fires may be out now, but a corrections officer who wants to stay anonymous tells us inmates are finding another way to protest on Saturday night. “The inmates upped the level. Now they’re attempting to flood the holding units by stopping up the toilets because they know we can’t turn off their water.”

This guard says meals are being served several hours late. He also says, “It’s getting bad inside the facility.” He tells us some COVID-19 units have been locked down for more than 2 days with no showers, no time out of rooms, no recreation, and no phone privileges.

DPS says it isn’t able to react to this on Saturday night but will get back to us Monday.

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