Posted at 2:52 p.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Prison program receives $95,273 state grant
Advertiser Staff
Ka Hale Ho'ala Hou No Na Wahine, a program that assists women residents with re-entry into the community following incarceration, has received a $95,273 grant-in-aid from the state.Gov. Linda Lingle made the announcement that she released the funds today during a tour of the facility where she met with staff and inmates, a news release said. The money will go to TJ Mahoney & Associates, which runs the program.
The company "has been an invaluable partner in the state's effort to improve rehabilitation services for individuals leaving prison," Lingle said in a statement.
"Our goal is to empower inmates so that they can successfully transition from prison back into the community. By creating a comprehensive work release program that is tailored for women, Ka Hale Ho'ala Hou No Na Wahine has accomplished this goal and helped hundreds of residents rebuild their lives."
The state Department of Public Safety has hired the company to run the program since 1992.
The home, located on Ka'a'ahi Street in Honolulu, offers living space for female parolees and low-risk inmates nearing the end of their sentence, providing work placement, employment counseling, case management, family reunification, substance abuse treatment and life skills development services for approximately 100 women annually, the release said.
"This program has demonstrated its ability to reintegrate offenders back into the community," said Clayton Frank, Director of the Department of Public Safety. "Partnerships like this one are crucially important in providing our offenders with the necessary services and skills to successfully rejoin society."
