The union representing Hawai'i prison guards is protesting disciplinary action taken against three guards who allegedly released three inmates too soon.

According to documents filed in court yesterday, one of the inmates, Pomale Falaniko, was released from O'ahu Community Correctional Center on July 7, 2005. The release occurred when he was supposed to have been transported to the Hawai'i State Hospital for treatment of mental problems.

The day after Falaniko's release, his attorney called the prison "to inquire about the erroneous release," according to court records.

The attorney "was concerned about (Falaniko's) presence in the community, because of the inmate's past history of sexual assault charges," the records stated.

Falaniko was captured the night of July 8, 2005.

The state alleged that OCCC guard Jose Rodriguez had "failed to thoroughly review court records" in Falaniko's case. He was suspended from his job for one day.

In another case, OCCC guard Gordon Lindsey was suspended for five days after he released inmate Alika Johnson Jan. 11, 2006 because Johnson had been acquitted in a Circuit Court jury trial of a drug charge.

But Lindsey allegedly "failed to thoroughly review the court documents" because Johnson had been convicted of a second drug charge, according to the records.

In the third case, OCCC guard Manitila Matau was disciplined for releasing inmate Louis Lareau Jr. when he should have released inmate Louis L. Lareau.

Bail bond documents "clearly indicated that the bail bond was for" the elder Lareau, the disciplinary records said.

"However, you erroneously processed the release of" the son, the records said. The guard was suspended for three days.

Attorney Herbert Takahashi filed court papers asking that the three cases be consolidated and arguing that "no discipline is warranted because the adult correctional officers were not properly trained or provided adequate staffing."

Officials of the state Department of Public Safety could not be reached for comment yesterday evening.

Earlier this month, the state Attorney General's office told state legislators that it had agreed to pay two prison inmates a total of $105,000 because they had been incarcerated longer than their release dates.

Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com.