Stitching a life behind bars

It’s far from a garment industry sweatshop with poor lighting, antiquated equipment and substandard conditions. It’s well-lit, boasts all the latest sewing equipment and is cheerful, spotless and filled with music, pleasant chatter and laughter.

Monica Gavin, left, head of the sewing program at the Women's Community Correctional Center, monitors the progress of a garment being made by inmate Haunani Kanoa. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

But it’s not an upscale designer’s studio. It’s the sewing workshop at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua. And the seamstresses are inmates.

The sewing program was initiated at the Halawa prison in 1992, when the inmates there began making their own uniforms. It expanded into the women’s facility three years ago on a small scale, with the women sewing cosmetics bags for an outside company.

Since last year, under the supervision of designer Monica Gavin, the sewing shop has become successful beyond anyone’s expectations. Now the inmates are sewing garments for commercial customers, garments that you might see at the local mall.

Gavin first came to O‘ahu as a military intelligence officer at Schofield Barracks. In 1987, after retiring from the military, she became a fashion designer. Her line was called Emelgi and her colorful, innovative, often hand-painted designs were featured in high-end boutiques around Honolulu.

Gavin loves the whimsical and is currently writing and illustrating a children’s book based on a fantasy inspired by her granddaughter. For rest and recreation? Every Sunday she rides a motorcycle around O‘ahu.

Now she’s taken on a new challenge.

Gavin applies the same exacting standards to the work of Corrections Industries that she did to her own fashions. The first thing her workers want to tell you: "Monica made a gown for Miss America."

They said they have to shout her praises because she’s too modest.

The feeling of respect is mutual. Gavin shows pride in the skills and attitudes of her workers. "We’ve completed every project we ever took on," Gavin said. "Our customers expect quality and get it. My standards and expectations may be too high, but they (the seamstresses) feel as good as I do when they meet them."

The sewing shop has an impressive quality ratio of 1 percent defects.

Women in the Kailua facility can also work in the kitchen or in education, but the sewing room teaches them business and how to work in the real world.

Deadlines are strict in the garment industry, so sometimes the sewing shop stays open for 10 hours at a stretch. The seamstresses have to stay focused, a skill they may never have learned before. They are also required to be responsible and accountable for their actions.

Gavin has developed a complicated system to track every piece of every project, every step of the way. Each person who touches the item has to sign off on it. That way, mistakes can be tracked and corrected immediately.

Anything that’s wrong gets ripped out and sewn again.

"On the outside, all I ever worked was fast food. Now I have experience in other areas. It give me self-confidence ’cause I’m learning something I never thought I could do," said Renee Borges, who works as part of the quality control team, along with Frances Sutton and Lynn Souza.

Jennifer Kong had sewn a little at home, but she has learned to use industrial sewing machines and other professional equipment in the sewing shop in Kailua. "I’d like to make it a career. I’m definitely going to sew in some way, maybe make baby blankets and take them to the swap meet."

Although she has found some of the skills difficult to learn, Kong said, "(Monica) can be hard, but she’s a good boss."

Darlene Moreira also appreciates the professional training she is receiving. "This is a trade, something you can take on after you’re out. It makes me feel good when I look at something I’ve made and can say ‘Wow! I made that!’ It’s good for the self-esteem."

"I’m not proud to be here, but I’m proud of the work," said inmate seamstress Leimomi Yate.

Many of the women had never sewn a stitch before entering the sewing shop. Others had done a few projects on home sewing machines or for 4H or school projects.

Working in the sewing shop requires discipline, perseverance and patience. Teamwork is also critical. Not every inmate is cut out for it.

"If we have gripes, we have to let it go," Kong said. "We have to get along together in here, whether we like it or not."

Gavin has had to fire women for attitude and behavior problems. "I had to weed them out, otherwise it will just filter down and then everyone will think it’s acceptable."

There’s a high turnover, so training is constant. The average stay for a woman in the Kailua facility is 18 to 22 months, according to warden John Kellam. Gavin said the average length of time with her is three months, due to status changes and releases, and six months is like a gift.

Gavin said the sewing shop takes on jobs that other contractors won’t attempt. A current project is long-sleeved aloha shirts for Kamehameha Garment Co. They require skill and precision, with engineered prints, matching pockets and cuffed sleeves.

"Monica has some very high standards," said Len Fergusen, sales manager for Kamehameha Garment Co. "The sewing is excellent, but what she’s teaching these ladies is an entire profession that, with minimal investment, they can turn into a successful business when they get out."

Fergusen said all it would take is a used sewing machine and some creative thinking to set up shop and make these women independent businesswomen. And the industry is always looking for excellent contract seamstresses who pay attention to detail.

Among the sewing shop’s other vendors are Tamare Aloha, Choice Designs and Goodwill, for whom they make aloha shirts; Akimi Designs, for whom they make women’s and children’s clothing, and Angel Wear, upscale women’s lounge and sportswear.

"They’re getting rave reviews from the vendors," Kellam said. "They’re learning a skill and establishing a work ethic. It’s a totally win-win situation."

Kellam told the story of a job he sent to a sewing company; the garments were all white, but when he visited to see how the job was going, the seamstresses were using black thread. It’s the sort of thing that plagues a clothing manufacturer’s life, but, he said, "that wouldn’t happen in Monica’s shop."

The prison receives 5 percent of the inmates’ income from the contracts, to be applied to recreational activities. Correctional Industries receives 5 percent. Another 10 percent is sent to a compensation fund for victims of crimes and 80 percent is the inmate’s to keep.

One vendor, Joy Graham of Angel Wear, asked CI Industries to make 648 Scooter Slings — carrying bags for those ubiquitous Razors — last Christmas season.

She was so pleased with the work that last week she ordered 40 garments to be sewn by them. "They’re willing to do both large and small orders, a benefit for small manufacturers like me," Graham said. "They did a fantastic job with the Scooter Slings once they got the very complicated procedures down. In fact, Monica came up with several improvements to my original design."

The women love to tell the story of the former inmate now in Australia making hats and supervising other seamstresses. They hope for more success stories as the program matures and the women return to the "outside" with professional sewing skills and increased discipline and self-esteem.

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