Hawaii Will Pay $60K To An Inmate Who Suffered A Broken Jaw In 2019 Maui Jail Riot
The riot did millions of dollars in damage to the state facility, and the inmate required surgery for his injuries.
An inmate who had his jaw broken in multiple places during the chaos of the 2019 riot at the Maui Community Correctional Center has reached a $60,000 settlement with the state, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Corrections officials said the MCCC riot was triggered in part by overcrowding at the jail, and rampaging prisoners did more than $5 million in damage to the facility.
The Department of Public Safety — now known as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — said 42 inmates refused to return to their cells shortly before 3 p.m. on March 11, 2019, and began breaking fire sprinklers.
The inmates also smashed fixtures and started a fire, and the smoke drifted into another module where inmates began another disturbance.
During the uproar, prisoner Kevin Lifoifoi was assaulted by another inmate and suffered a broken jaw. He had to undergo a surgical stabilization procedure, and his jaw was wired shut to minimize nerve injury, according to the AG’s account.
Lifoifoi later sued the state, and the $60,000 settlement was included in for lawmakers’ approval along with a variety of other settlements and court judgments.
Lifoifoi is currently on supervised release after serving prison sentences for theft, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, unauthorized entry into a dwelling, and resisting arrest, according to corrections and court records.
