#saguaro correctional center

As part of the celebration at Saguaro, which officially began at sunrise on Nov. 16, inmates from Hawaiʻi who observe the festival participated in traditional Hawaiian dancing, praying, games and other religious activities that are part of the Makahiki celebration.

CoreCivic’s Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona recently held a graduation ceremony for 22 student-inmates from Hawaiʻi who earned a GED, and one student-inmate, Maui-native Gregory Garcia, who earned two associate degrees and is currently working on his bachelor’s degree.

CoreCivic’s Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona recently celebrated student-inmate Gregory Garcia of Maui, who earned two Associate Degrees.

A male Saguaro Correctional Center inmate from Hawaiʻi, who was 60-69 years old with underlying medical conditions, died on Tuesday at an Arizona hospital.  This is the first death of a Hawai‘i inmate identified in medical examiner’s reports as a COVID-19-related death.

Broad-based testing of 1,011 Hawai‘i inmates was completed last week at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ, with 575 (57%) negative, 317 (31%) positive and 46 (5%) inconclusive. Results are still pending for the remaining 73 Hawaiian inmates.

Bronson Nunuha, 26, was serving a 5-year sentence after being convicted of three property crimes (second-degree burglary, attempted second-degree burglary, and third-degree criminal property damage) in Maui in 2006. He was just months away from completing his sentence when the incident occurred.