ProjectFocus Hawai'i Inc.

2008 “Reawakening” Photographic Internship

Unlike other years, this year ProjectFocus Hawai'i will conduct a photojournalistic narrative with children whose mothers reside at Ka Hale Ho'ala Hou No Wahine and those whose mothers are incarcerated at the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC).

The children will photograph their mothers in their respective facilities and both children and mothers will write accompanying narratives describing why each is important in the other's life.

Adding to the dramatic contrast between confinement and freedom, Ms. Callies and Ms. Uesugi will photograph the children on the beautiful and historic grounds of La Pietra located on the slopes of Diamond Head.

Regardless of their current status, both incarcerated mothers and those transitioning back into the community find it challenging to reconnect with their families, especially their children from whom they may have been separated for years.

Through this project, it is the photographer’s hope that both children and mothers will come to understand the importance of family relationships and bonding and individual importance within the family structure. Both will also have the opportunity to learn how their choices – both good and bad – can affect their lives and the lives of those around them.

Ka Hale Ho‘ala Hou No Na Wahine (The Home of Reawakening for Women) is a correctional halfway house whose mission is to empower women to successfully transition from prison to the community. Since its inception in 1992, Ka Hale Ho‘ala Hou No Na Wahine has served over 1200 women. The women spend a minimum of six months at their residential facility where they are given the tools to acquire new skills and attitudes in order to change old and destructive patterns of behaviors. Accountability, self-sufficiency, a connectedness with others, community service endeavors and resiliency are the core values taught at Ka Hale Ho‘ala Hou No Na Wahine.

The Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) is Hawai‘i’s only prison for women and serves nearly 230 inmates requiring levels of minimum to maximum security. Those confined at WCCC are pre-trial or sentenced offenders, many of whom have limited interactions with their families and children. WCCC offers a 50-bed gender responsive, substance abuse therapeutic community called Ke Alaula. Other offerings include a cognitive-based curriculum, parenting and educational classes, domestic violence treatment, day reporting and electronic monitoring programs.

Photo by: Faye Furutomo