DCR NEWS RELEASE: WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER HOSTS RESOURCE FAIR

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA

TOMMY JOHNSON

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER HOSTS RESOURCE FAIR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 23, 2025

KAILUA — The Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) hosted a resource fair Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, for nearly 150 inmates, to help them prepare for reintegration into the community.

The facility collaborated on the event with a nonprofit organization called Transforming Lives, as well as the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DCR) Reentry Coordination Office and the Hawaiʻi Paroling Authority.

During the event at the facility Maunawili Cottage courtyard, more than 100 representatives of more than 50 providers spoke with inmates and handed them brochures and informational sheets on available support services such as housing, job training, healthcare, substance abuse treatment, education and other services.

Participating vendors included a mix of community and faith-based organizations as well as state and city agencies and offices including: Care Hawaiʻi, Dynamic Healing Center, Going Home Hawaiʻi, Habilitat, Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative, He Ala Hou O Ke Ola, Department of Health, Institute for Human Services, Keiki O Ka ʻĀina Family Learning Centers, Kokua Support Services, Rent to Work, Salvation Army Treatment Services, Waikīkī Health, WorkNet Hawaiʻi and more.

Inmate Danielle Mano-Kila who participated in today’s resource fair, said the event shows there’s a lot of community support to help transform her life. “I feel like this is a big benefit for a lot of us because, like, when we get out, we normally go back to what we know which is the streets….”

“So with this being provided for us, available for us, to take, like, advantage of it is big,” Mano-Kila added. “We can help set ourselves up when we get released.”

A majority of the inmates who participated in today’s resource fair are eligible for parole or slated to complete their sentences over the next year.

Inmate Codi Keppel said the resource fair will help her plan for her return to the community. “It’s good to plan especially when I’m in here doing my time. I need structure and I believe this fair is helping me with that,” Keppel said.

DCR Director Tommy Johnson attended today’s resource fair where he thanked WCCC, Transforming Lives, HPA and DCR Reentry Coordination Office for their hard work organizing the event. Johnson also thanked community partners for their participation and collaboration.

“DCR and our community partners represent a large team of people dedicated in helping those in our custody and care prepare for a successful transition into the community upon their release. Our partnerships play a critical role in providing a support system for justice-impacted individuals,” Johnson said.  

The Hālawa Correctional Facility, Waiawa Correctional Facility and Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center – Hale Nani Facility also hosted resource fairs in recent months.

WCCC Warden Ione “Noni Guillonta said, “Today’s event is about connecting our women to resources that are out there in the community. Today we have approximately 50 to 60 outside agencies that have come in, and we have our women going through in different groups to see what resources are out there that can help them.”

“We appreciate all of the providers that participated in today’s event to help the women plan for their reentry into the community,” Guillonta said.

Footage and photos of the resource fair, courtesy of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, are available at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14RfjIYUFPCFTB2GsMHbFK1kzU75N_BqJ?usp=sharing.

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Media contact:

Rosemarie Bernardo

Public Information Officer

Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Office: 808-587-1358

Cell: 808-683-5507

Email:[email protected]

Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov