The LKOC/WCCC Partnership
On this page, click on the following links to find:
~ LKOC/WCCC Partnership Overview
~ Description of our Learning to Grow (LTG) Program
~ Description of the Community Service Workline
~ Description of our Goats in the Garden Program
~ The History of the LKOC/WCCC Partnership
~ LKOC/WCCC Partnership Overview
~ Description of our Learning to Grow (LTG) Program
~ Description of the Community Service Workline
~ Description of our Goats in the Garden Program
~ The History of the LKOC/WCCC Partnership
WHAT IS THE LKOC/WCCC PARTNERSHIP?
LKOC sponsors several wonderful programs at the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC)
here in Kailua, as part of our LKOC/WCCC Partnership.
This unique partnership was formed in 1999, and called the Environmental Sciences Vocational Training Program. A curriculum was developed so that the women would get college credits for their classes given by college faculty and accompanied by work in a renovated nursery on the prison facility grounds. This enduring relationship between LKOC and WCCC has been maintained since then.
Click <HERE> to read the history of how the partnership was formed.
Click <HERE> to find a recent Press Release about the partnership.
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Here are the programs that LKOC currently sponsors at WCCC.
~ Learning to Grow (LTG), which teaches inmates horticultural skills, as well as small business, financial and life skills, they can use upon release. Also, hydroponic lettuce they grow at the facility is sold at Foodland stores across Oahu, where all proceeds go to support the program. Our LKOC volunteers mentor the women in the program, visiting the nursery several times a week, and we hire instructors from the community to teach a series of 6-week classes, throughout the year.
See below for more details on this life-changing program.
~ The Community Service Workline (CSWL), which, since 1999, has been providing teams of inmates who maintain the landscaping at numerous public areas in Windward Oahu.
See below for more details on this program.
~ Goats in the Garden, where, since 2019, inmates take care of a small herd of goats
as part of an animal husbandry program.
See below for more details on this program.
~ Exceptional Trees - since 2002, LKOC has provided funds for the professional maintenance of three "Exceptional Tree" Monkeypod specimens on the exterior grounds of the facility. These magnificent trees are some of the oldest on the ET Registry and are clearly visible from Kalanianaole Highway, for all to enjoy.
In August 2024, LKOC installed a stone pohaku at the facility’s main entrance, in front of the large Exceptional Monkeypod there. It displays a plaque recognizing these exceptional specimens
that we are proud to protect and preserve. We are so grateful to Alika and Kainoa Peterson from A&K Landscaping, who generously donated their time and effort to transport and install the pohaku.
Here is a short video of the installation. Enjoy!
that we are proud to protect and preserve. We are so grateful to Alika and Kainoa Peterson from A&K Landscaping, who generously donated their time and effort to transport and install the pohaku.
Here is a short video of the installation. Enjoy!
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Our LKOC volunteers have done a wonderful job putting these programs together, which we support financially, as well as with dedicated volunteers. This unique partnership has provided valuable contributions to Windward O'ahu, and we are extremely grateful for the wonderful support and vision we have received over the years from the prison staff.
A big Mahalo to past Warden Eric G. Tanaka and current Warden Ione Guillonta!
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
In September, 2017, the Honorable Governor David Ige visited the WCCC facility and posted the following on his Facebook page. We were honored to have him visit the LTG nursery, as shown in the photo.
In September, 2017, the Honorable Governor David Ige visited the WCCC facility and posted the following on his Facebook page. We were honored to have him visit the LTG nursery, as shown in the photo.
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKLINE (CSWL)
Since1999, LKOC has sponsored the Community Service Workline project, which provides teams of inmates to maintain landscaping in public areas in Windward O'ahu. Initially a Workline of inmates was set up for Kailua Beach. The warden wanted the women to be part of the community so the areas were extended in 2000. Today these areas include: Kailua Road median, from St. John Lutheran Church to Oneawa Street, Alala Point plantings at the entrance to Lanikai, Pohakapu Fountain landscape, Kawainui Marsh and Hamakua Marsh. They also maintain the LTG grounds around the hydroponic system and garden nursery.
LKOC provides training, equipment, equipment repairs, ongoing materials, and lunches. A Harold KL Castle Foundation Grant recently provided for repurchase of weed whackers that were stolen. The Lanikai Community Association also generously donates a portion of the women’s lunch expenses each month.
The Workline goes out with several crews of 10 for 4 hours, 3-4 times a month which comes to over 150-woman hours per month! They do such a great job!
COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKLINE IN THE MEDIA
Here’s a link to a video about our Community Service Workline and their efforts at Alala Point, at the entrance to Lanikai:
https://www.facebook.com/236992487007574/posts/370758200297668?s=100004594471471&v=e&sfns=mo
https://www.facebook.com/236992487007574/posts/370758200297668?s=100004594471471&v=e&sfns=mo
LKOC’S “LEARNING TO GROW” (LTG) PROGRAM
Since 2008 LKOC has sponsored the Learning to Grow project at WCCC, where inmates have built and now maintain a large hydroponic system and plant nursery where they grow organic vegetables for the prison cafeteria, saving the prison $40,000 a year. Since 2016, a portion of the hydroponic lettuce grown in the program has been available at five local Foodland grocery stores on O‘ahu. The lettuce is harvested and delivered fresh every Wednesday, and there are multiple varieties available from week to week. The proceeds from the sales go to support the program. The inmates are now in charge of the the entire planting cycle, from seed to harvest.
LKOC volunteers teach inmates in hydroponics, plant maintenance and management skills. Our volunteers work side by side with the women, three times a week, providing not only hands on guidance, but a mentoring sense of camraderie and friendship as well.
In 2015, a HECO grant provided funds to restore electricity to the hydroponic system and the garden classroom (lost due to a 2015 storm).
Additionally a Harold KL Castle Foundation grant provided funds for the inmates to build a fifth hydroponic line to grow lettuce (to sell locally to help the program become self-sustaining), as well as provided funds for horticultural instructors for two sets of classes, in which the women have earned three separate certificates in horticulture, hydroponics, and how to run a small business. The Small Business Association has provided in-kind donations towards course preparation, materials and instructor.
The students in these programs receive 50 cents an hour, which gives them some pocket money.
In 2019, LKOC was able to install a sixth hydroponics lettuce line, which the students built themselves. The program has now expanded to include a small herd of goats which will manage some of the underbrush maintenance around the nursery as well as provide a learning and nurturing experience for the students, who will take care of them on a daily basis.
All facets of our program within Learning to Grow provide these women with skill sets to help them succeed after release, as well as develop a sense of confidence and accomplishment. One former inmate received an additional stipend when she showed her Horticultural certificate to her new employer. Several inmates have been inspired to go back to school. Over 30 students have graduated from the newly instituted certified Hydroponics training programs, and similar numbers in the horticultural and business classes.
Today we are so thankful for our committed and enthusiastic LKOC volunteers, and the generous financial support from our community. In 2019, we were happy to receive a grant from St. Christopher's Church in Kailua, to help fund this life-changing program.
Our aim at “Learning to Grow" is to expose our students to the joys and responsibilities of working with plants (and now animals!) and provide them a supportive atmosphere where they learn to self –heal.
We are always looking for volunteers to participate in the LTG program at the WCCC facility. Click here to find out how you can help.
“LEARNING TO GROW” IN THE MEDIA
Here’s a link to an HPR radio segment about our tree propagation program that was aired on Arbor Day 2019, including wonderful interviews with two of the inmates. The trees that were given away on Arbor Day 2019 in Kailua were grown by the women at the facility, and 6 of them were on site at the tree giveaway (at Kailua Methodist Church), where the interview was held. You can hear the joy in their voices! (Scroll down to CC_LearningToGrow… segment)
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/conversation-inmates-flourish-garden-vocational-training-program
Here’s a link to a video about our hydroponics program, that appeared recently on Hawaii News Now. The inmates take such pride in their work, and it’s so apparent!
“One lettuce head at a time, farming program rooted at women’s prison changes lives”
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/11/one-lettuce-head-time-farming-program-rooted-womens-prison-changes-lives/
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/conversation-inmates-flourish-garden-vocational-training-program
Here’s a link to a video about our hydroponics program, that appeared recently on Hawaii News Now. The inmates take such pride in their work, and it’s so apparent!
“One lettuce head at a time, farming program rooted at women’s prison changes lives”
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/11/one-lettuce-head-time-farming-program-rooted-womens-prison-changes-lives/
GOATS IN THE GARDEN
In 2019, LKOC received a $5000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Hawai’i for an innovative project at WCCC called “Goats in the Garden”.
A herd of four small goats is now part of the program at the LTG Garden Nursery.
The goats were hand raised on the Island of Hawaii, specifically for this project.
Staff, inmates, and volunteers have worked together to transform an old shed into a goat home, and the goats will move around grazing and maintaining the invasive undergrowth around the garden nursery.
Training on goat care has been conducted, and everyone is enthusiastic and eager to be involved. The initial team managing the goats consists of 8-12 women, many of whom are approaching release. The team includes several women with longer sentences who will be consistent through implementation and manage the training of new participants. Over the course of 12 months, it is expected that more than 40 women will have direct exposure to working with the animals.
Opportunities for caring and nurturing are limited in an institutionalized setting, and we have seen a positive outcome already. For the first time, women will be allowed into the garden on weekends to care for the goats. The positive impact on relationships between staff and inmates is already evident. The opportunities are boundless and the benefits to the women, staff, and the community enormous
If you interested in volunteering for this enriching program, click here to get in touch with a coordinator.
Here’s a link to a KITV News story about our goats!
https://www.kitv.com/story/41296879/the-womens-community-correctional-center-has-four-new-helpers-goats
Below is a photo of our newly arrived goats, now part of our landscape maintenance team!
A herd of four small goats is now part of the program at the LTG Garden Nursery.
The goats were hand raised on the Island of Hawaii, specifically for this project.
Staff, inmates, and volunteers have worked together to transform an old shed into a goat home, and the goats will move around grazing and maintaining the invasive undergrowth around the garden nursery.
Training on goat care has been conducted, and everyone is enthusiastic and eager to be involved. The initial team managing the goats consists of 8-12 women, many of whom are approaching release. The team includes several women with longer sentences who will be consistent through implementation and manage the training of new participants. Over the course of 12 months, it is expected that more than 40 women will have direct exposure to working with the animals.
Opportunities for caring and nurturing are limited in an institutionalized setting, and we have seen a positive outcome already. For the first time, women will be allowed into the garden on weekends to care for the goats. The positive impact on relationships between staff and inmates is already evident. The opportunities are boundless and the benefits to the women, staff, and the community enormous
If you interested in volunteering for this enriching program, click here to get in touch with a coordinator.
Here’s a link to a KITV News story about our goats!
https://www.kitv.com/story/41296879/the-womens-community-correctional-center-has-four-new-helpers-goats
Below is a photo of our newly arrived goats, now part of our landscape maintenance team!
NOTE: In January 2026, the goats were happily relocated to a new home in Mililani, where they will be enjoying life in a farm atmosphere. Although the “Goats in the Garden” program has ended, the program itself proved to be an extremely rewarding experience for our students, staff, and volunteers over the years.
HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE LANI-KAILUA OUTDOOR CIRCLE AND WCCC
As recounted by Margaret Brezel, past WCCC Committee Chair,
Betsy Connors, current WCCC Committee Chair, and others
As recounted by Margaret Brezel, past WCCC Committee Chair,
Betsy Connors, current WCCC Committee Chair, and others
In 1999, The Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle (LKOC) received a call from John Kellam, then Warden of the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), who asked LKOC to help him “gussy up” the outside of the facility. Carol Ann Ellet, the Beautification Chair of LKOC, and board member Betsy Connors went to meet with him, and arranged for 6 shower trees to be planted along the facility walkway.
Warden Kellam really wanted to show us an abandoned and dilapidated nursery on the grounds that had been used when the property housed a school for boys. He asked if we would be willing to start a nursery for the women inmates. “Women have different needs from men, and I think a garden would be a good idea.” He had wanted to give the offenders horticulture classes but hadn't been able to convince DPS (Dept. of Public Safety) to do it. Carol Ann Ellett then wrote the head of DPS, Ted Sakai, and its Education Program Manager, Maureen Tito, for six months before getting a positive reply agreeing to the project, and once onboard, Ted Sakai and Maureen gave us their continuous full support.
This resulted in LKOC volunteers being allowed to refurbish the abandoned nursery, which was done with the help of the WCCC women. (Picture them tearing down a jungle of Ivy Gourd vines.) LKOC invested $2,000 and received funds from HKL Castle Foundation and local nurseries donated plants and supplies. The men from Wai’awa facility were tasked with laying a cement slab and installing a sturdy shade cloth. The Garden. Club of Honolulu contributed a $13,000 grant toward the initial “make over” of the dilapidated classroom there, and for equipment, library books, etc. Thus began the enduring relationship of LKOC with WCCC that has been maintained since 1999.
Initially, the program was called the Environmental Sciences Vocational Training Program, through which a curriculum was developed so that the women would get college credits for their classes given by college faculty and accompanied by work in the renovated nursery. A three-way partnership was developed where: LKOC would provide the tools and materials; The Department of Public Safety (DPS) through their Education Director, Maureen Tito, would pay the salary for the Teacher to teach Horticulture and Environmental Science; and WCCC would provide women for a Community Service Work Line to maintain LKOC's public plantings and for the students to learn Environmental Science and Horticulture in the Plant Nursery.
We had monthly meetings with Warden Kellam and Maureen Tito, who helped us to hire a retired nursery man, who oversaw the nursery and instructed the women. Under “Tata,” as he was known to the students, the nursery became a wonderland of green. We held periodic plant sales to support the project, and, at this time, the Community Service Work Line started going out into the community to perform landscape maintenance on beautification projects that LKOC had installed. Initially the Work Line was set up for Kailua Beach (Alala Point) and LKOC provided lunch. The warden wanted the women to be part of the community, so the areas were extended in 2000 to include Kaha Park and Pohakupu Park. Today the areas they service include Kailua Road median, from St. John Lutheran Church to Oneawa Street, installed by LKOC in 2000, and the multi-acre Alala Point plantings at the entrance to Lanikai, installed by LKOC in 1994. They also maintain the LTG nursery grounds around the hydroponic system and gardens. In 2018, the Work Line women marched with LKOC the Kailua 4th of July Parade, where our float depicted a replica of the stone marker at the entrance to Lanikai, honoring their work at Alala Point.
In 2003, the WCCC class designed and landscaped the grounds of St. Christopher's Windward Senior Day Care Center. Then they went on to design and install a project at the Kailua library with a landscape artist volunteering his assistance. This was a way to give back to their community and the women expended enormous energy on these projects. They also earned college credits.
In those early years LKOC also started a tree planting project for the students. A donated monkey pod tree, a half dozen shower trees and 400 hibiscus plants and an irrigation system for the hibiscus were installed just outside the facility fences, with assistance from the City Parks Department. The women planted the hibiscus and cared for the landscape.
This three-way partnership thrived until August 2008, when State Budget Cuts took away the funding for the Horticulture Teacher and DPS bowed out of the partnership. Fortunately, WCCC and LKOC restructured the partnership with all volunteer LKOC teachers and WCCC gave us students from their Total Life Recovery (TLR) program, the cream of the crop.
In 2008, LKOC recruited Chuck Glenn, who had been teaching Hydroponics at Windward Community College, and asked if he would come to a meeting with then Warden Mark Patterson. Chuck jumped in enthusiastically and taught our original 10 women how to build and run a Hydroponics system. Chuck was at the Garden every week for a year, volunteering his time. A lifelong teacher and counselor, he said he had never had such committed and enthusiastic students.
This was the start of the “Learning to Grow” (LTG) program through which LKOC volunteers and instructors from the community taught inmates in hydroponics, plant maintenance and management skills. A HECO grant provided funds to restore electricity lost in a 2015 storm to the hydroponic system and the garden classroom, and a HKL Castle Foundation grant provided funds for the inmates to build a 5th hydroponic line to grow lettuce to sell to help the program become self-sustaining.
As part of the LTG program, in 2016, LKOC provided the first of two sets of classes where students could earn three separate certificates to help them secure employment or start their own business after release: Hydroponics, Horticulture, and Starting Your Own Small Business. The HKL Castle grant provided funds to hire a horticulture instructor and to cover some of the costs of the Starting Your Own Small Business class, with the help of The Small Business Association providing some in-kind donations towards course preparation, materials, and the instructor. The Castle Foundation grant provided for two sets of each certificate course to allow more women to participate.
Through these instructive classes, in 2016, the hydroponics program began selling lettuce to Foodland markets across Oahu. The lettuce is harvested and delivered fresh every week, and there are multiple varieties available from week to week. The proceeds from the sales go to support the program. The inmates are in charge of the the entire planting cycle, from seed to harvest, including packaging and boxing, and maintenance of the hydroponics system. LKOC volunteers deliver the boxes of lettuce to the Foodland distribution center.
The LTG program also includes vermiculture activities, where students maintain a worm farm producing valuable nutrients for the garden. They also care for four goats as part of an animal husbandry activity made available through a $5,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Hawaii. Opportunities for caring and nurturing are limited in an institutionalized setting and looking after the goats has been an enriching opportunity for the students.
Each summer LTG students start caring for plants that are purchased for LKOC’s annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway held in November. In 2019 and 2024, the students attended the giveaway, where they were able to interact with the public and provide valuable information about the plants they had been nurturing. It is a wonderfully affirming event for them.
LKOC hired a part-time Nursery Manager in 2024 to oversee the activities in the Plant Nursery and assists volunteers and students and act as a liaison with prison staff.
In 2025, plans were initiated to revitalize an existing lei garden adjacent to the Plant Nursery. The garden was originally established by the Garden Club of Honolulu (GCH) in the early 2000s. However, in recent years, they were unable to continue their lei garden program and left the area in LKOC’s care. Since then, while it was kept free of overgrowth, it had not been operational. Now, with recent grant funding from GCH and other donors, new irrigation has been installed, and LKOC is looking forward to a flourishing tree garden for our students to learn about tropical and native flowers and their care and propagation.
LKOC’s work at WCCC has been a rewarding experience for our dedicated volunteers and this unique partnership has provided valuable contributions to Windward O'ahu. LKOC is extremely grateful for the wonderful support and vision we have received over the years from the prison staff and DPS, as well as the generous financial support it has received from community organizations and foundations.
SUMMARY OF LKOC PROGRAMS AT WCCC
LKOC currently supports three projects at WCCC, including:
1) the Community Service Work Line (CSWL) program,
2) the Learning to Grow (LTG) program, and
3) the Exceptional Tree maintenance.
A written report about the activities at WCCC is provided monthly to the LKOC Board, articles are included in the twice-yearly LKOC Newsletter, and the LKOC WCCC Committee meets with the warden on a monthly basis.
1) Community Service Work Line (CSWL)
Since 1999 this program has been providing inmates to maintain the landscaping at public areas in Windward O'ahu. The Work Line goes out into the community with a crew of 8-10 for 4 hours, 3-4 times a month. On their workdays, LKOC provides lunch for inmates and correctional officers at local restaurants in Kailua. The Lanikai Association generously provides funding for their lunches on the days they work at Alala Point. LKOC provides training, equipment, equipment repairs, and ongoing materials as needed. HKL Castle Foundation has provided funding in the past for replacement weed whackers.
2) Learning to Grow (LTG)
The aim in "Learning to Grow" is to expose students to the joys and responsibilities of working with plants, and to provide them a supportive atmosphere where they learn to self–heal. LKOC pays an hourly stipend to the inmates while working in the Plant Nursery.
The LTG program provides a venue where inmates have built and now maintain a large hydroponic system and plant nursery where they grow lettuce and organic vegetables for the prison cafeteria. The lettuce production, from seed to harvest, is done by the students, and, since 2016, the lettuce has been sold at Foodland stores across Oahu. Students also grow plants that are sold at a community plant sale held each year and at the “I Love Kailua” Town Party. Proceeds from sales go to support the LTG program. Students also nurture plants to be given away at LKOC’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway each November.
The program and curriculum includes regular classes in horticulture and also includes raised-bed vegetable gardening, vermiculture worm farming, animal husbandry with goats being cared for, and a lei garden area for students to propagate and learn about the types of native and tropical flowers suitable for lei making.
WCCC volunteers visit the Plant Nursery several mornings a week, where they work side by side with the women, providing not only hands on guidance, but a mentoring sense of camaraderie and friendship as well. The experience is truly rewarding for volunteers.
LKOC’s WCCC Committee provides extensive training materials for the students, which allow them to perform their duties even when volunteers are not on site. Students are assigned lead roles for tasks to be performed, giving them a sense of confidence and accomplishment. LKOC provides equipment and supplies for the nursery’s operation.
3) Exceptional Trees at WCCC
Four spectacular Monkey pod trees on the exterior grounds of the Women’s Community Correctional Center were nominated by LKOC to the state’s Exceptional Tree Registry in 2000. These majestic trees are clearly visible from Kalaniana’ole Highway and are some of the largest and oldest in Kailua and on the ET Registry.
In exchange for WCCC's agreement to allow them to be deemed 'exceptional', LKOC committed to pay for their pruning and maintenance as its contribution to the community. Since 2002, LKOC has had them trimmed every few years, for a total of 10 times, to date. This maintenance has included other trees on the facility grounds as well. All tree trimming has been performed by professional arborists Albert and Alvin Undan from Trees of Hawaii. Inc. Pest treatment has been performed by noted arborist Steve Nimz from Tree Solutions Hawaii.
In 2023, LKOC consulted with project engineers regarding the protection of these trees during major reconstruction of the facility buildings and entrance driveway, providing its expertise on a driveway realignment which prevented a major limb from having to be removed.
VOLUNTEERING AT WCCC
Volunteer activity involves work with the hydroponic lettuce production, raised-bed vegetable gardening, vermiculture farming, plant propagation, and other educational classes and activities. Additionally, volunteers deliver the boxes of hydroponic lettuce to Foodland distribution center once a week. Lead WCCC volunteers coordinate volunteer activities and coordinate with the Nursery Manager and prison staff.
When new volunteers show interest, they are invited to visit the nursery so they can decide if they want to contribute. Before being allowed to enter, they need to be cleared, which requires providing full name, date of birth and Social Security number to the Sergeant in charge. There is also a dress code and rules about what cannot be brought into the prison, the details of which are provided to guests and new volunteers.
Click on the link below for a printable version of the above History of the LKOC/WCCC Partnership.
Warden Kellam really wanted to show us an abandoned and dilapidated nursery on the grounds that had been used when the property housed a school for boys. He asked if we would be willing to start a nursery for the women inmates. “Women have different needs from men, and I think a garden would be a good idea.” He had wanted to give the offenders horticulture classes but hadn't been able to convince DPS (Dept. of Public Safety) to do it. Carol Ann Ellett then wrote the head of DPS, Ted Sakai, and its Education Program Manager, Maureen Tito, for six months before getting a positive reply agreeing to the project, and once onboard, Ted Sakai and Maureen gave us their continuous full support.
This resulted in LKOC volunteers being allowed to refurbish the abandoned nursery, which was done with the help of the WCCC women. (Picture them tearing down a jungle of Ivy Gourd vines.) LKOC invested $2,000 and received funds from HKL Castle Foundation and local nurseries donated plants and supplies. The men from Wai’awa facility were tasked with laying a cement slab and installing a sturdy shade cloth. The Garden. Club of Honolulu contributed a $13,000 grant toward the initial “make over” of the dilapidated classroom there, and for equipment, library books, etc. Thus began the enduring relationship of LKOC with WCCC that has been maintained since 1999.
Initially, the program was called the Environmental Sciences Vocational Training Program, through which a curriculum was developed so that the women would get college credits for their classes given by college faculty and accompanied by work in the renovated nursery. A three-way partnership was developed where: LKOC would provide the tools and materials; The Department of Public Safety (DPS) through their Education Director, Maureen Tito, would pay the salary for the Teacher to teach Horticulture and Environmental Science; and WCCC would provide women for a Community Service Work Line to maintain LKOC's public plantings and for the students to learn Environmental Science and Horticulture in the Plant Nursery.
We had monthly meetings with Warden Kellam and Maureen Tito, who helped us to hire a retired nursery man, who oversaw the nursery and instructed the women. Under “Tata,” as he was known to the students, the nursery became a wonderland of green. We held periodic plant sales to support the project, and, at this time, the Community Service Work Line started going out into the community to perform landscape maintenance on beautification projects that LKOC had installed. Initially the Work Line was set up for Kailua Beach (Alala Point) and LKOC provided lunch. The warden wanted the women to be part of the community, so the areas were extended in 2000 to include Kaha Park and Pohakupu Park. Today the areas they service include Kailua Road median, from St. John Lutheran Church to Oneawa Street, installed by LKOC in 2000, and the multi-acre Alala Point plantings at the entrance to Lanikai, installed by LKOC in 1994. They also maintain the LTG nursery grounds around the hydroponic system and gardens. In 2018, the Work Line women marched with LKOC the Kailua 4th of July Parade, where our float depicted a replica of the stone marker at the entrance to Lanikai, honoring their work at Alala Point.
In 2003, the WCCC class designed and landscaped the grounds of St. Christopher's Windward Senior Day Care Center. Then they went on to design and install a project at the Kailua library with a landscape artist volunteering his assistance. This was a way to give back to their community and the women expended enormous energy on these projects. They also earned college credits.
In those early years LKOC also started a tree planting project for the students. A donated monkey pod tree, a half dozen shower trees and 400 hibiscus plants and an irrigation system for the hibiscus were installed just outside the facility fences, with assistance from the City Parks Department. The women planted the hibiscus and cared for the landscape.
This three-way partnership thrived until August 2008, when State Budget Cuts took away the funding for the Horticulture Teacher and DPS bowed out of the partnership. Fortunately, WCCC and LKOC restructured the partnership with all volunteer LKOC teachers and WCCC gave us students from their Total Life Recovery (TLR) program, the cream of the crop.
In 2008, LKOC recruited Chuck Glenn, who had been teaching Hydroponics at Windward Community College, and asked if he would come to a meeting with then Warden Mark Patterson. Chuck jumped in enthusiastically and taught our original 10 women how to build and run a Hydroponics system. Chuck was at the Garden every week for a year, volunteering his time. A lifelong teacher and counselor, he said he had never had such committed and enthusiastic students.
This was the start of the “Learning to Grow” (LTG) program through which LKOC volunteers and instructors from the community taught inmates in hydroponics, plant maintenance and management skills. A HECO grant provided funds to restore electricity lost in a 2015 storm to the hydroponic system and the garden classroom, and a HKL Castle Foundation grant provided funds for the inmates to build a 5th hydroponic line to grow lettuce to sell to help the program become self-sustaining.
As part of the LTG program, in 2016, LKOC provided the first of two sets of classes where students could earn three separate certificates to help them secure employment or start their own business after release: Hydroponics, Horticulture, and Starting Your Own Small Business. The HKL Castle grant provided funds to hire a horticulture instructor and to cover some of the costs of the Starting Your Own Small Business class, with the help of The Small Business Association providing some in-kind donations towards course preparation, materials, and the instructor. The Castle Foundation grant provided for two sets of each certificate course to allow more women to participate.
Through these instructive classes, in 2016, the hydroponics program began selling lettuce to Foodland markets across Oahu. The lettuce is harvested and delivered fresh every week, and there are multiple varieties available from week to week. The proceeds from the sales go to support the program. The inmates are in charge of the the entire planting cycle, from seed to harvest, including packaging and boxing, and maintenance of the hydroponics system. LKOC volunteers deliver the boxes of lettuce to the Foodland distribution center.
The LTG program also includes vermiculture activities, where students maintain a worm farm producing valuable nutrients for the garden. They also care for four goats as part of an animal husbandry activity made available through a $5,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Hawaii. Opportunities for caring and nurturing are limited in an institutionalized setting and looking after the goats has been an enriching opportunity for the students.
Each summer LTG students start caring for plants that are purchased for LKOC’s annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway held in November. In 2019 and 2024, the students attended the giveaway, where they were able to interact with the public and provide valuable information about the plants they had been nurturing. It is a wonderfully affirming event for them.
LKOC hired a part-time Nursery Manager in 2024 to oversee the activities in the Plant Nursery and assists volunteers and students and act as a liaison with prison staff.
In 2025, plans were initiated to revitalize an existing lei garden adjacent to the Plant Nursery. The garden was originally established by the Garden Club of Honolulu (GCH) in the early 2000s. However, in recent years, they were unable to continue their lei garden program and left the area in LKOC’s care. Since then, while it was kept free of overgrowth, it had not been operational. Now, with recent grant funding from GCH and other donors, new irrigation has been installed, and LKOC is looking forward to a flourishing tree garden for our students to learn about tropical and native flowers and their care and propagation.
LKOC’s work at WCCC has been a rewarding experience for our dedicated volunteers and this unique partnership has provided valuable contributions to Windward O'ahu. LKOC is extremely grateful for the wonderful support and vision we have received over the years from the prison staff and DPS, as well as the generous financial support it has received from community organizations and foundations.
SUMMARY OF LKOC PROGRAMS AT WCCC
LKOC currently supports three projects at WCCC, including:
1) the Community Service Work Line (CSWL) program,
2) the Learning to Grow (LTG) program, and
3) the Exceptional Tree maintenance.
A written report about the activities at WCCC is provided monthly to the LKOC Board, articles are included in the twice-yearly LKOC Newsletter, and the LKOC WCCC Committee meets with the warden on a monthly basis.
1) Community Service Work Line (CSWL)
Since 1999 this program has been providing inmates to maintain the landscaping at public areas in Windward O'ahu. The Work Line goes out into the community with a crew of 8-10 for 4 hours, 3-4 times a month. On their workdays, LKOC provides lunch for inmates and correctional officers at local restaurants in Kailua. The Lanikai Association generously provides funding for their lunches on the days they work at Alala Point. LKOC provides training, equipment, equipment repairs, and ongoing materials as needed. HKL Castle Foundation has provided funding in the past for replacement weed whackers.
2) Learning to Grow (LTG)
The aim in "Learning to Grow" is to expose students to the joys and responsibilities of working with plants, and to provide them a supportive atmosphere where they learn to self–heal. LKOC pays an hourly stipend to the inmates while working in the Plant Nursery.
The LTG program provides a venue where inmates have built and now maintain a large hydroponic system and plant nursery where they grow lettuce and organic vegetables for the prison cafeteria. The lettuce production, from seed to harvest, is done by the students, and, since 2016, the lettuce has been sold at Foodland stores across Oahu. Students also grow plants that are sold at a community plant sale held each year and at the “I Love Kailua” Town Party. Proceeds from sales go to support the LTG program. Students also nurture plants to be given away at LKOC’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway each November.
The program and curriculum includes regular classes in horticulture and also includes raised-bed vegetable gardening, vermiculture worm farming, animal husbandry with goats being cared for, and a lei garden area for students to propagate and learn about the types of native and tropical flowers suitable for lei making.
WCCC volunteers visit the Plant Nursery several mornings a week, where they work side by side with the women, providing not only hands on guidance, but a mentoring sense of camaraderie and friendship as well. The experience is truly rewarding for volunteers.
LKOC’s WCCC Committee provides extensive training materials for the students, which allow them to perform their duties even when volunteers are not on site. Students are assigned lead roles for tasks to be performed, giving them a sense of confidence and accomplishment. LKOC provides equipment and supplies for the nursery’s operation.
3) Exceptional Trees at WCCC
Four spectacular Monkey pod trees on the exterior grounds of the Women’s Community Correctional Center were nominated by LKOC to the state’s Exceptional Tree Registry in 2000. These majestic trees are clearly visible from Kalaniana’ole Highway and are some of the largest and oldest in Kailua and on the ET Registry.
In exchange for WCCC's agreement to allow them to be deemed 'exceptional', LKOC committed to pay for their pruning and maintenance as its contribution to the community. Since 2002, LKOC has had them trimmed every few years, for a total of 10 times, to date. This maintenance has included other trees on the facility grounds as well. All tree trimming has been performed by professional arborists Albert and Alvin Undan from Trees of Hawaii. Inc. Pest treatment has been performed by noted arborist Steve Nimz from Tree Solutions Hawaii.
In 2023, LKOC consulted with project engineers regarding the protection of these trees during major reconstruction of the facility buildings and entrance driveway, providing its expertise on a driveway realignment which prevented a major limb from having to be removed.
VOLUNTEERING AT WCCC
Volunteer activity involves work with the hydroponic lettuce production, raised-bed vegetable gardening, vermiculture farming, plant propagation, and other educational classes and activities. Additionally, volunteers deliver the boxes of hydroponic lettuce to Foodland distribution center once a week. Lead WCCC volunteers coordinate volunteer activities and coordinate with the Nursery Manager and prison staff.
When new volunteers show interest, they are invited to visit the nursery so they can decide if they want to contribute. Before being allowed to enter, they need to be cleared, which requires providing full name, date of birth and Social Security number to the Sergeant in charge. There is also a dress code and rules about what cannot be brought into the prison, the details of which are provided to guests and new volunteers.
Click on the link below for a printable version of the above History of the LKOC/WCCC Partnership.
| history_of_the_lkoc-wccc_partnership.pdf |
Below is an article published in the Honolulu Advertiser in 2000, regarding the beginning of the program.
