Hawai'i's prison inmates may make up the most unloved population in the state, some would say justifiably so.

These inmates, according to this argument, were found guilty of harming their neighbors, most of whom are understandably relieved to see them taken out of the picture.

If they're sent far away, so much the better.

That analysis feels satisfying but ignores a painful reality: Hawai'i has been remiss in dealing with prison problems, and sending inmates off to Mainland prisons creates more problems than it solves.

Dealing with inmates effectively requires efforts on multiple fronts, including better reintegration of inmates into the community and more persistent treatment of drug addiction, which underlies so much of Hawai'i's criminal activity.

The incarceration of inmates on the Mainland, at first a stopgap measure to deal with crowded prisons, has become a disgracefully dominant feature of the state's corrections policy.

Prison conditions don't rise very high on the scale of voter concerns, and so policymakers have not felt pressed to find long-term solutions.

Elected officials have never confronted the true social costs of crowding in Hawai'i prisons, the effects on families of constant transfers to Mainland prisons and the inadequate preparations for their return.

It's time to face up to those costs, and find some sensible solutions.

PROBLEMS WORSEN

Some of those costs are outlined in a series launched in today's Advertiser, written by staff writer Kevin Dayton. The bottom line here is that packing our inmates off to other states merely postpones the inevitable problems that, in the interim, become much worse.

Serving time in Mainland prisons can all but sever an inmate's family ties, already under strain. Concerned about the legacy this leaves for future generations, the state rightfully has convened a task force to study the impact of separation on inmates' children.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Nearly all these prisoners eventually return to our communities. For many, their prison terms, especially when they're served in other states, haven't corrected their criminal behavior. So they're back in the picture again, their neighbors no safer than before.

The short-term problem of capacity, both at Halawa and community correctional centers, must be dealt with. Crowding has meant that various programs aimed at preparing most inmates for their release have been sidelined.

At the community centers on all islands, the lack of beds has delayed the return of inmates from the Mainland in anticipation of their release. This allows far less time than needed to reconnect with family and community.

There's also a lack of space in "halfway house" and furlough programs that increase the odds of successful employment.

It's no wonder these inmates have so little chance of turning their lives around when they go home. The state, with its strained corrections system, fails to provide the tools needed for success.

NO PROGRESS IN HAWAI'I

To the shame of two consecutive administrations, no real movement has been made toward expanding high-security prison space since the Mainland inmate transfers began. It is unconscionable to institute a "stopgap" solution and pay nothing more than lip service to the duty of housing prisoners within their home state.

By default — and without the authorization of taxpayers — the state essentially has turned over wardship of its inmates to private Mainland institutions. Private prisons provide a less stable environment during tough economic times because of constant staff turnover and profit-driven cutbacks.

The Lingle administration has promised to expand capacity at the jails on each island, which is an important part of the solution. And there's talk of increasing the use of private drug-treatment and rehabilitation programs to extend more support to inmates after they go home. The public must hold them accountable for fulfilling those promises.

But there's more that should be done — and should have been done by now.

NEED FOR PRISON SPACE

Much of the responsibility falls squarely on state legislators who have abrogated their duty to provide for corrections. True, they've appropriated funds for the out of state transfers, but what's really needed is adequate prison space in Hawai'i. And there's been no move to provide it. For years legislators have failed to allot money for prison expansions. And finding a site, of course, will come with a political price.

Instead, lawmakers have chosen the politically expedient path, sending inmates elsewhere while following the trend toward enlarging the prison population through mandatory and extended sentences. They've ignored mounting evidence that such strategies don't reduce the rate of recidivism among ex-convicts.

Certainly, prisons house many incorrigibles who need to live out their lives behind bars, but that's no reason to abandon essential elements in the corrections tool kit.

The key components for achieving change should be non-negotiable: