Early Thursday morning, 33-year-old Justin Feliciano, an inmate at Halawa Correctional Facility in Hawaii, was found unresponsive in his cell around 2:15 a.m. Staff tried to save him, and emergency responders from EMS and the Honolulu Fire Department arrived, but he could not be revived. Officials believe his death was a suicide, and an autopsy is planned to confirm the cause.
Feliciano’s death marks the fifth suspected suicide in Hawaii’s prison system this year and the third at Halawa in just six months. Halawa is the largest prison in the state, housing 721 male inmates. Feliciano had been serving time for crimes including robbery, theft, assault, and promoting prison contraband.
Growing Concerns About Suicide in Prisons
Data shows a troubling rise in suicides in Hawaii’s prisons and jails. From 2020 to 2024, there were at least 13 suspected suicides, compared to six between 2015 and 2019. This trend reflects a nationwide problem, with a study revealing an 85% increase in suicides in state prisons from 2001 to 2019.
Carrie Ann Shirota, policy director for the ACLU of Hawaii, expressed alarm over the increase in suicides. She criticized the lack of mental health support for incarcerated people and called for a full review of what might have prevented these deaths. The ACLU wants the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission to make suicide prevention a regular topic in its meetings.
Mental Health in Prisons: A Nationwide Issue
Tommy Johnson, Director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, noted that the rising number of suicides in prisons reflects a broader issue: the criminal justice system is increasingly housing individuals with mental health conditions who lack proper community support. “Correctional facilities have become de facto mental health institutions,” Johnson said, pointing to the closure of mental health facilities across the country.
State officials are now investigating Feliciano’s death and others, hoping to identify ways to address this growing crisis.