Although Hawaii’s prisons and jails have had no cases of COVID-19, prison and government officials are concerned that any case of COVID-19 inside the state’s correctional facilities could spread rapidly to prisoners and staff.

The Department of Public Safety (PSD) has reduced the prison population by releasing prisoners –often over the objections of county and state prosecutors– but it’s also doing thorough cleaning to help ensure the facilities are sanitary.

PSD’s Hawai‘i Correctional Industries (HCI) recently partnered with Hawai‘i Unified (Hui Restoration) which holds proprietary rights for a patented dry fog sanitation system. The dry fog creates an antimicrobial barrier that continues to kill pathogens such as mold, bacteria, and viruses, including COVID-19, for up to 90 days. The sanitation solution out-performs other disinfectant routines, is non-toxic, is EPA and FDA approved, and does not damage electronic mechanisms.

This dry fog method was applied in high traffic areas at the Maui Community Correctional Center, O‘ahu Community Correctional Center, and the Halawa Correctional Facility, including inmate intake areas and inside inmate transport vehicles. PSD is in the process of scheduling applications at other facilities statewide, which would include the Big Island’s Hawaii Community Correctional Center (HCCC) and Kulani Prison.

Ryno Irwin, CEO of Hawai‘i Unified Industries, LLC said, “We’re just excited to be able to work with the community and help all of our first responders and our correctional systems stay safe from any contagions that could spread. The fog application settles on surfaces and it’s like a microscopic bed of spikes.  If any cells, viruses, mold, or bacteria lands on those surfaces it will pop the cell killing it on contact. This is an approved process, is completely non-toxic and is safe for people and animals.”

HCI is offering this service to all county, state and federal government agencies and will then eventually open services to the public.

Photo is Hawaii Unified CEO Ryno Irwin explaining that workers will envelope each area in a dry fog cloud that will permeate surfaces and kill all pathogens, mold, and bacteria.  The company will also apply an antimicrobial barier that will continue to kill pathogens for up to 90 days.

Irsin explained that they will also sanitize vehicles, after first doing a swab to determine the level of pathogens, and using a special swab afterwards to determine the vehicle has been sanitized.