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Incarcerated individuals on Kauaʻi have a transformative pathway toward workforce readiness and higher education, through a new partnership between Kauaʻi Community College and the Kauaʻi Community Correctional Center (KCCC).

Carpentry students at Kauaʻi Community Correctional Center build a classroom for future classes to be held.

This summer, Kauaʻi CC Carpentry Instructor Duke Lang led a cohort of 16 students at KCCC through a carpentry microcredential offered by the college’s Office of Continuing Education and Training (OCET). Participants gained practical experience by constructing a new classroom and office space, a project designed to resolve the shortage of secure instructional areas at the facility.

For student Stephen Spigner, who is nearing his release, the program served as a critical turning point.

“It seems sort of like a miracle,” Spigner said. “It’s really divine timing that this program is being offered while I’m here.”

Laying the foundation Kauaʻi CC Carpentry Instructor Duke Lang with a KCCC student.

Upon completing the microcredential, students earn credit for foundational coursework. This allows them to bypass introductory classes if they enroll in the college’s associate in applied science in carpentry program after their release.

“We’re hoping to give them a different opportunity when they get out from doing their time here,” Lang said. “The feedback they’re giving me is, ‘Wow, I can really see how this can be useful. When I get out, I think I’m going to come see you.’”

Kauaʻi CC Chancellor Margaret Sanchez said the lack of a secure space for classes at KCCC has been a hurdle, but with the completion of the classroom, the partnership can continue to grow.

“The students are learning hands-on to provide a classroom space to increase future educational opportunities at KCCC,” Sanchez said.

‘Knowledge is power’ KCCC students are working towards a carpentry degree before release.

The initiative is building bridges to long-term stability.

“The students are engaged,” said KCCC Educational Specialist Darcy Yamamoto. “They’re asking questions. They are diligent about coming to class. We’re hoping they will have an idea of what they want to do or the path that they need to be on.”

OCET Education Specialist Pomai Burkart added, “There’s a sense of dignity these students are going to have when they leave KCCC,” she said. “Knowledge is power, and you can’t take knowledge away from someone.”

Read more at Kauaʻi CC.

—By Caitlin B. Fowlkes