The Women’s Community Correctional Center held a dedication ceremony on Sep. 25 to commemorate the Kailua facility’s new housing and related improvements project after breaking ground in July 2021.
The $63 million expansion includes three new buildings that will be used for administration, housing and intake/visitation, with an additional $6 million allocated for WCCC’s Hoʻokipa Cottage, a new multipurpose building and renovated structure with a 58-bed-capacity.
Among those in attendance were Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Tommy Johnson, Correctional Institutions Division Deputy Director Pamela Sturz, Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division Deputy Director Sanna Muñoz and Administration Division Deputy Director Melanie Martin.
“Our aim is not merely to house individuals but to offer them an opportunity for transformation,” WCCC Warden Ione “Noni” Guillonta said in a news release. “The facility will be a place where the focus extends beyond punishment to encompass education vocational training, mental health support and reentry preparation.”
WCCC’s hula halau, Halau Hulu Kamaluokukui, performed and a blessing was conducted by Kahu Pohālelo Loko‘olu Quintero and ‘Ihilani Chu of the Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei and Chaplain Tammy Turcios.
The event doubled as an opportunity for professional experience for inmates who have been training with staff from ʻŌlelo Community Media as they were given the chance to film and conduct interviews.
The Oʻahu Community Correctional Center in Kalihi is preparing to transfer approximately 120 inmates to WCCC, with the process expected to take up to eight weeks.
All new facilities are scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2024.
The WCCC upgrades were covered in a feature article from the May 2024 issue of Building Industry Hawaii.
