WAILUA — The Department of Corrections &Rehabilitation (DCR) is set to begin a new chapter on a significant initiative and has officially designated a location off Maalo Road in Lihue as the preferred site for the new Kauai Community Correctional Center.
The DCR hosted, “Pathways for Reentry from Incarceration: A Community Symposium for the Future of KCCC,” at the Kauai Community College (KCC) Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 25. Panel discussions on rehabilitation and reentry services took place where experts addressed how a new facility with space for programs and services would benefit inmates.
Currently, the 48-year-old correctional facility sits on 9.5 acres of pastoral land along Kuhio Highway in Lihue and holds up to 128 men and women with pretrial misdemeanors, pre-trial felons, sentenced misdemeanors, those on probation, and parole violators.
The primary topic of discussion at the symposium was the facility’s relocation, prompted by the longstanding flooding issues it has encountered due to its current location within the tsunami and flood-prone zone. During the symposium, DCR articulated that it has identified a site off Maalo Road in Lihue as the preferred location for its relocation.
The land is owned by Grove Farm and is located in proximity to the Kaulu I Ka Pono Academy, an education and drug treatment facility for at-risk youth.
Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami expressed gratitude to all the personnel at KCCC and for their commendable efforts in the field of corrections. He also acknowledged the DCR for bringing the facility’s challenges to attention and for embracing innovative approaches to address them.
In his remarks he stated; “Our KCCC facility is antiquated, it’s located in a tsunami zone and I cannot fathom the types of decisions that the warden needs to make when we have a tsunami warning.
“It’s in an area that floods, it has become too small for our growing population and I just cannot imagine how we expect people that work in that environment to go to work with a good morale and it just doesn’t seem fair.”
“I want everybody to have an open mind and think about how the criminal justice system has evolved. Whether our current facility was built for the type of programs that are now available to give the tools to the people that have wronged their community, the skill set to come out, be productive, get back on their feet and continue to pay their debt to society,” said Mayor Kawakami during the panel.
In 2024, the state Legislature appropriated $20 million in capital improvement project funds to relocate KCCC and replace it with a new jail and transitional center. DCR contracted SSFM International, Inc., a consulting and engineering company, to conduct a site selection study. The criteria for the site included acreage size, availability of infrastructure, and proximity to support services.
Contractors studied several potential sites including areas on government-owned land in Lihue and Hanapepe and privately-owned land in Lihue. Though the Maalo Road location has been identified as the preferred site, it is not considered the selected site. If DCR does decide to pursue that site, land use entitlement processes would then take place to purchase the land from Grove Farm.
“Many in our Kauai community are aware that our current location poses safety risks for those we serve and our staff,” said KCCC Warden Jerry Jona.
“As we progress towards a new site, we have received valuable input on what a new jail facility should include to ensure successful partnerships and rehabilitation efforts that reflect our island’s culture and values. A new chapter has been a long time coming and we’re looking forward to improving lives for years to come.”
Project manager Aaron Wong of SSFM International explained to attendees that roughly 20 to 30 acres of usable land is available at the site which is located near the support services. He also noted that a site with additional acreage would allow for the expansion of much-needed rehabilitation and vocational training programs, therapeutic gardening and skill-building workshops which are proven to reduce recidivism.
Although this project is currently in its initial phase when asked about desired features for the new KCCC facility, former Parole Officer La Risa Nebre expressed a preference for increased space that fosters a greater sense of community within the facility.
“What I would like to see is a community, not a gathering place so much, but maybe a market where the inmates learn skills, they sell things, the community can come and kinda see that these are not throwaway individuals. These are people in our communities that would do good and can do good. We can kinda reduce that stigma of “take the key throw it away and be done with them”,” shared Former Parole officer Nebre.
“I would like to see more staffing… a place for them, like a dorm area, to rest before heading out on their overtime shift. A more modern facility, a lot of times in the past there were way more inmates than the facility was meant to hold and that presents a dangerous situation for staff.
“A facility that will include more space, a community aspect so that everybody — workers, inmates — can feel a sense of belonging and start that process of really bringing this community aspect and mindset that we are still going to take care of each other,” she said.
The panelists also discussed that collaboration with government agencies, nonprofit groups, and community leaders is essential to effectively reduce recidivism.
DCR Director Tommy Johnson said, “In order to be successful, it requires all of us — government, nonprofits, families, and community leaders — working together to align our efforts, resources, and focus.
“What we envision for the next KCCC facility is culturally based programs that are evidence-based, that are restorative. A safe, secure, and humane facility that includes the use of natural light, space for programs, a family-friendly visitation area, integrated courtroom, and gyms for staff and inmates to promote health and wellness are also part of that vision.”
This community symposium marked the first chapter for the future of KCCC. To provide input or for continued updates on the relocation of KCCC, visit: https//ssfm.konveio.com/kccc.
……work/Kauai