LOOKING FORWARD ?

Women's prison labor available to some groups

By Helen Altonn
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 11, 2009

Community organizations and agencies that need help on projects may get it at no cost with prison labor by calling Larson Medina, recreational therapist at the Women's Correctional Center.

Hawaii women were sent to the mainland prison in 2005 to cut costs. Most were happy there because they had programs and jobs to keep them busy, he said.
"It was easier for them to do time. Now they're back home, and it's great to see family and friends. But time stands still because there is nothing to do. There aren't enough classes or job opportunities."
Medina said the women have a variety of educational abilities and skills, from sewing, crocheting and knitting to working on computers.
"We need projects where we could keep them busy and give something back to the community and help out," he said. "We want to combat idleness. It's going to cause trouble for us with nothing to do.
"I don't want the public to think all we do is play ball all day," he added. "I want something meaningful."
In the past, the women made ribbons for Mothers Against Drunk Driving and knitted baby blankets from yarn provided by Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Medina said.
"When I go home every day, my mailbox is full of stuff" from nonprofit organizations, he said. "We could stuff envelopes, and we could do it for free."strong>He can be reached at 266-9841 or 772-8042.


Vernon,
Reminds me of a story I heard from Nestor Garcia. He said, in Arizona, the rehabilitation consisted of, "close order drill". I hope there's some baby blanket and ribbon factories when they get out. And I hope they pay enough to assuage the contrary effects to their "rehabilitation", that idleness and poverty would have outside of prison.

THE MEN GET PAID. LADIES, RISE UP!
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