MEDIA RELEASE

HONOLULU –  Gov. David Ige appointed former prisons director Ted Sakai to the new Hawai‘i Correctional System Oversight Commission. He joins three other commissioners — retired judge Ronald Ibarra (appointed by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald), Mark Patterson (appointed by Office of Hawaiian Affairs chair Colette Machado), and Michael Town (appointed by Sen. President Ronald Kouchi). One more seat must still be filled.

“Ted is highly qualified to serve on the Correctional System Oversight Commission because of his extensive leadership and experience in the prisons system. I have the utmost confidence that Ted will serve the state well as a commissioner,” said Gov. Ige.

Sakai has nearly 30 years of experience at the Department of Public Safety, having served as prisons director, deputy director, administrative assistant to the director, and chief of staff. He was also the warden at the Waiawa Correctional Facility.

Sakai is currently the executive director at Pu‘ulu Lapa‘au, the Hawai‘i Program for Health Professionals – a non-profit agency that provides confidential support and advocacy to licensed health professionals.

The Hawai‘i State Legislature created the five-member, independent commission last legislative session to help improve the corrections system, including prison overcrowding. The commission is housed under the Office of the Attorney General. Link to Act 179 here