(AP) — A class-action lawsuit on behalf of Hawaiʻi inmates says the state has failed to protect people from COVID-19 outbreaks in unsanitary jails. The lawsuit says nearly half of the people in Hawaiʻi custody have contracted the virus and that five out of nine facilities have experienced “uncontrolled outbreaks.” The lawsuit describes conditions including cells that aren’t sanitized or cleaned when virus-positive inmates move out and a new person moves in. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety says the agency has been advised not to comment on possible pending legal matters.
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