“We had to terminate the negotiation of the $16 million for what the bidders were asking for the A&E design. The governor told me to look over it again...changes,” said DEPCOR Director Fred Bordallo Jr. 

The Department of Corrections is drawing a clear line, Mangilao’s adult correctional facility is for prisoners, not pre-trial detainees. 

Bordallo Jr. says proposed changes to Guam's prison master plan aim to protect detainees by keeping them out of the prison compound altogether. 

The overcrowded Hagåtña Detention Facility has forced DOC to use Mangilao as overflow, housing detainees in tent domes, right alongside hardened criminals. 

As of July 23, DOC is holding 928 individuals, including 490 pre-trial detainees and 398 convicted inmates, far beyond the 300 the facilities were built to hold.

Nearly 21% of those detainees are citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia. 

Bordallo says doc recently met with acting FSM Consul General Johnny Silbanuz to share the concerns, particularly the risks of mixing detainees with prisoners.

“A number of pre-trial appear are nationals of FSM, because of the overflow and overcrowding at the Hagatna detention facility, those nationals are up here in Mangilao...sentenced or convicted inmates that are up here,” added Bordallo. 

Among the proposed changes: Deleting any language in the master plan that includes jails or detention facilities on the Mangilao prison grounds.

“When we remove the terminology now that it wont be a jail, the new facility is actually for sentenced prisoners. Then we are not...rehabilitation programs,” Bordallo said. 

DOC is exploring alternatives, from moving female inmates to the Department of Youth Affairs compound, to even possibly transferring some detainees to Saipan.

The push comes as legal and constitutional concerns mount. A pretrial detainee’s death from preventable harm, especially when housed with convicted felons could violate federal due process protections.

“For pre-trial of the constitution,” said Bordallo. 

With support from Adeelup and growing concern from FSM officials, DOC hopes its plan will gain traction before overcrowding leads to irreversible consequences.

“I assure Guam that the department's uniformed personnel are all in support...I think they're all happy,” added Bordallo.