The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued two series of orders since the start of the pandemic, leading to the safe release of hundreds of incarcerated people from Hawaiʻi prisons and jails.

Longstanding problems with overcrowding have now helped make OCCC the most dangerous place in Hawaiʻi.

The first wave of inmates will be released into the community on Wednesday as the state works to control the spread of COVID-19 at Oʻahu Community Correctional Center.

Four out of every 10 Oʻahu Community Correctional Center inmates tested for COVID-19 have received positive results since mass testing began at the Kalihi facility a week ago.

Advocates say they’ve had to take over reentry services for prisoners released because of COVID-19 worries.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued an order Thursday “regarding the release or changes in the conditions of confinement of inmates amid concerns of a potential COVID-19 outbreak in Hawaiʻi’s correctional centers and facilities.”

Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s comments contradict the CDC and the experience of correctional facilities across the country where coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald instructed some Hawaiʻi judges on Tuesday to identify inmates who can be released in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Hawaiʻi’s Department of Public Safety says it would cost more than $1 million to release data related to its long-standing problem with keeping inmates locked up beyond their scheduled release dates.