Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), Kailua, Hawaii. Run by Al Carpenter, Director. Originally built for 56 kids and presently housing 72. $14 Million dollars a year is spent on HYJC, mostly on staff and poor management of overtime and contracts. Most of kids here have come from really horrific situations of abuse, drugs, addiction. Pictured: A.S., age 17, transgender—Lives in girls dorm isolation bedroom, made to protect against suicide. She has been here for 7 months and has 2 more months before she turns 18 and can go home. She lives with her mom, dad and younger brother and sister. She has hardly been at home, spending most of her time on the streets wanting to be with older friends. They are part of “that life.” They are “positive” people who got involved with drugs (more than weed), prostitution and burglary. The girls are welcoming, staff are a bit ambivalent, but accommodating. She is kept in a separate sleeping unit, which she enjoys as the girls are so noisy they keep her up. She is a light sleeper, enjoying the quiet. Sometimes she misses the social interaction in the evening. It might be an issue of discrimination by separating her, but safety issues are paramount. Still not resolved.
