STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

     KA ‘OIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA

     JOSH GREEN, M.D.

     GOVERNOR

     KE KIAʻĀINA

     TOMMY JOHNSON

     DIRECTOR

     KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

FITNESS CENTER OPENS FOR INMATES AT

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2024

HONOLULU — Health and wellness benefits associated with regular exercise are now available to inmates at the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), thanks to the continued partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR), the facility and Women’s Prison Project (WPP). Doors to the Kailua facility’s new fitness center, named “Ho‘ōla,” opened Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, after a dedication ceremony and blessing.

“Ho‘ōla means ‘to give life, to revive, to heal,” which perfectly captures the benefits this program will bring to the women here at WCCC,” said Warden Ione “Noni” Guillonta. “Exercise provides a long list of health benefits, including improved self-esteem, which will help prepare our residents for a positive future when they reenter the community. We are so grateful to the members of the Women’s Prison Project for their ongoing support of our residents.”

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, Director Tommy Johnson of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and former Gov. Linda Lingle, co-founder of the Women’s Prison Project, joined Warden Guillonta and 16 of the project donors at the ceremony.

A former 800-square-foot records office now holds 16 new fitness machines, all of which were purchased with $140,000 in monetary donations and selected with the assistance of Mike Sapp of Mike Sapp Fitness. The center was spearheaded by WPP member Elizabeth Rice Grossman and funded by 26 individuals and organizations. The donors who attended Thursday’s ceremony included Sue Landon, Jason and Jackie Higa, Judge Richard Clifton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, retired Circuit Judge Sandra Simms and former University of Hawai‘i Associate Athletic Director Marilyn Moniz.

Incarcerated women will have the opportunity to schedule workout sessions under the guidance of WCCC recreation specialist Marina Hutchinson.

Director Johnson said, “The new fitness center represents our commitment to the health and rehabilitation of those in our custody and care. We are grateful for the donors’ generosity and all of the supporters involved.”

The Women’s Prison Project is a coalition of individuals who are dedicated to restorative justice. WPP’s mission is to reduce the number of women in the corrections system, in part by supporting them while they are incarcerated and as they prepare to reenter the community. The organization was also instrumental in the creation of wall murals at the facility to brighten the environment.

“The fitness center is a testament to the compassionate leadership of Warden Guillonta and DCR Director Tommy Johnson,” said former Gov. Lingle. “They are dedicated to improving the conditions at our women’s facility and have embraced all of our ideas and efforts. WPP appreciates their partnership.”

Please click on the following link for photos and videos of the ceremony: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1oo5cbtvpDe427qQewI86mEE0xPfDFqhB.

# # #

 

Media Contacts:

Rosemarie Bernardo

Public Information Officer

Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Office: 808-587-1358

Cell: 808-683-5507

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov

Ann Botticelli

Women’s Prison Project

[email protected]

808-226-9483