Our Services

Going Home Hawaii believes we decrease the risk of new crimes and new victims
by providing supportive services to meet the individualized needs
of justice-involved persons experiencing barriers to successful reintegration
via a holistic approach of cultural inclusion and collaboration between community partners.

Housing  /  Who We Are  /  Supportive Services  /  Second Chance Case Management & Mentoring

 

Housing

* Note: All referrals are required to be sent to us via supervising authority/agency
(probation/parole officer, drug court, lawyer, furlough case manager, intake service center, etc.)

• Pu'uhonua Wellness Centers (Men & Women's Housing Programs, Hilo)
  Adults involved with the criminal justice system within the past twenty-four (24) months. Must be employed or actively seeking employment and/or job training or higher education aimed towards employment with the ability to pay a monthly program fee of $400. Must be able to live independently, be relatively self-sufficient, clean and sober from alcohol and/or illegal substances, and willing to participate in Native Hawaiian cultural classes and activities, including the E Ho'okanaka (be a person of worth) curriculum.
  

​          *Update: As of May 1, 2020 GHH is accepting applications for our women's housing program.

• Reentry Housing (Kona)
  Adult males or females involved with the criminal justice system within the past twenty-four (24) months. Must be employed or actively seeking employment and/or job training or higher education aimed towards employment with the ability to pay a monthly program fee of $400. Must be able to live independently, be relatively self-sufficient, clean and sober from alcohol and/or illegal substances

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Who We Are

The Going Home Consortium is a fluid, grassroots entity in which all of its members are volunteering their time and professional expertise. Members represent a cross-sector of service providers, cultural practitioners, government agencies, business, faith and community groups, former offenders and family members.

The Going Home Consortium meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month and has done so consistently since its inception in 2004.

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Supportive Services

Going Home works to reinforce the requirement for jurisdictions to have a wide range of effective, well-implemented programs that target the varying needs of justice-involved populations and addresses gaps in services that result in responsive programs and, ultimately, a more responsive system. Going Home (GH) provides, supports, and advocates for the following supportive services:

• In-Reach & Reintegration Program Services, East & West Hawai'i (IRR)
  Program funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Second Chance Act - This is a Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program for male and female justice-involved individuals. IRR is a 3-year project beginning in 2018 that provides intensive case management services and mentoring. Through case management and mentoring, GHH aims to assist program participants with obtaining safe, secure housing, educational and employment opportunities, and will work with participants to link them to benefits in which they are eligible for. Additionally, GHH will assist participants with admission into needed substance use and/or mental health treatment services. The overall goal of this program is to reduce recidivism; which is GHH's primary goal - to achieve a reduction in the recidivism rate within Hawai'i County and our State.

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• 9 Months: Window of Hope Program (East Hawai'i)
  A program for pregnant women struggling with substance use in the Hilo, Hamakua and Puna districts of Hawai'i Island. Services include: Case Management, Care Coordination and Mentoring. This is a program that can help moms stop using drugs and get healthy for their babies through intensive case management, case coordination to assist with linking participants to substance abuse and behavioral health counseling, support to obtain adequate prenatal care, and the provision of additional support from volunteer mentors. 

• Reintegration/Recovery Housing
  Transitional shelter programs for men and women who are justice-involved and in need of safe, secure, clean and sober housing. GHH's Kona Reentry Housing Program includes Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units (limited availability & rental application required); for individuals that need an extended period of time to obtain stable, independent housing.
  
  
• Developing a co-case management approach to bridge the multiple sectors that provide judicial supervision for reintegrating individuals in our community.
  
  
• The GH Consortium's Career Pathways Committee is focused on providing comprehensive job readiness training for individuals reintegrating into our communities. In addition to their monthly meetings and ongoing training program development, the Career Pathways Committee also:
  • Coordinates employer informational forums.
  • Supports and assists with the coordination of job fairs in Hawai'i County.
  • Networks with local employers to advocate for the hiring of justice-involved individuals who have successfully completed job readiness training and are found to be "employment ready."
  • Coordinates Business Close-Up Events to provide employment training opportunities for reintegrating individuals.
  • Coordinates an annual Employer Recognition Luncheon to honor employers in the community who consistently support justice-involved individuals and provide them with an opportunities to work without the pressure of their criminal record being held against them.
    
    
• Working with the Department of Public Safety to develop and deliver a re-entry program within the Hawai'i Community Correctional Center (HCCC).
  
  
• Support family reunification programs as part of the re-entry program at HCCC.
  
  
• Develop and engage peer support programs throughout the community.
  
  
• Showcase GH efforts for other counties in Hawai'i that are interested in developing a similar model for reintegration efforts.
  
  
• The GH Consortium's Education Pathway Committee focuses on supporting and expanding the role of educational programming available for individuals who are justice-involved. The low level of educational attainment, coupled with a lack of vocational skills, represents a significant challenge for ex-offenders returning to their communities and impedes their ability to find gainful employment. Through strong partnerships with the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo Community College, and other higher education institutions, GH continues to advocate for educational opportunities to include the needs of individuals reintegrating into our communities.
  
  
• Culture-Based Response
  GH responds to the over-representation of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice system and the impact on the family.  It is a wellness-focused effort bringing the entire community around the issues and needs of the men, women, and youth returning home from incarceration. *[For more information pertaining to the State of Hawaii's Prison Reform Task Force, CLICK HERE to view the "Creating Better Outcomes, Safer Communities" final report of the House Concurrent Resolution 85 Task Force on Prison Reform]

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Second Chance Community-Based Case Management & Mentoring

• Established by a three-year federal grant from Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, awarded to Going Home Hawaii in 2018 that allows Going Home Hawaii to provide pre and post release case management services to justice-involved individuals.
  
• Through this and other funding awards, Going Home Hawaii is able to continuously maintain a strong partnership with the State of Hawai'i Department of Public Safety.
• The Second Chance Mentoring Program matches offenders from Hawai'i Community Correctional Center (HCCC) with mentors recruited from the community.
• All mentors must be 21 years old or older and free from any justice-involvement (including judicial supervision) for two years or more. Mentors are also asked to complete Volincor training which is a requirement of the Department of Public Safety and allows individuals who successfully complete Volincor to be approved to enter a jail or prison facility.
• Mentors are provided with training by the Going Home Hawaii Mentor Coordinator. This training curriculum was developed by Dr. Joseph Pascarelli, Former President of the International Mentoring Association.
• Mentors and mentees receive on-going training and support throughout the re-integration process.
• Mentoring increases public safety and reduces recidivism. Mentoring is proven to provide pro-social benefits, including access to a reliable listener and association with someone who is outside of one's existing social network. These benefit are perhaps most evident in the practice of peer mentoring, which Going Home Hawaii supports. Peer mentoring matches program participants to mentors with similar experiences - a contrast to non-peer mentors and program staff, who are more likely to be viewed by participants as authority figures.
• The impact of mentoring for adults returning to their communities from incarceration is dependent on the mentoring structure. At Going Home Hawaii, this involves collaborating with correctional facilities, thoughtfully selecting and matching mentors and participants, and effectively concluding the mentoring relationship. An integral part of the process also involves the understanding that mentoring should serve as a supplement to services that address other critical reentry needs, such as housing, health care, substance use treatment, and employment/higher education.

"The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney fully supports the mission of the Going Home Consortium. We especially appreciate the Consortium's efforts that help reduce recidivism and keep Hawai'i Island safe and healthy."

- Mitch Roth, Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawai'i

"Going Home helps former offenders accomplish things they can be proud of."

- Former Mayor William "Billy" Kenoi, County of Hawai'i