Office of Information Practices

Opinion Letter No. 93-07
July 27, 1993
Inmates’ Access to Prison Medical Files

The OIP found that a Department of Public Safety policy, which restricted inmates from inspecting their prison medical files when the information is irrelevant to their needs, conflicted with section 622-57, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and is, therefore, invalid. Under section 622-57, health care providers, of whom medical units of State correctional facilities are included, must provide a patient with copies of their medical records unless it would be detrimental to the health of the patient.

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