Hawaii Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC)
Expansion of sole women's prison in Hawaii
The CGL AOR Justice team (now NELSON Worldwide) was selected to work with the State of Hawaii Department of Public Safety to design a new facility intended to expand housing and replace the aging administration building and develop a new intake, transfer and release center at the existing Women’s Community Corrections Center.
The design team developed the space program, final design and construction documents for this new $41 million project that will allow the state to properly care for the female inmate population on the islands. CGL assisted in neighborhood meetings to help the State get the project approved by all surrounding community groups. Through this project, it was the team’s goal to be a catalyst for improving corrections in the State of Hawaii. This meant focusing on quality space and programs for the inmates, staff members and community.
The campus includes new housing, an intake/visiting building and a new administration building. The housing provides both open dorm and cell units with generous, light-filled dayrooms and shared program and support spaces. The intake building includes an enclosed vehicle sallyport, booking and release areas, single and group cells, property storage, safety and sobering cells and support areas for the intake staff. Video visitation, as well as indoor and outdoor family visitation areas are provided in the visitation portion of the building. The family visiting areas have access to patios with beautiful views of the Hawaiian landscape, skyline and greenery. The new administration building accommodates office space, training areas, armory and locker spaces for the staff.
This project will allow the State of Hawaii and Public Safety to continue developing and expanding the services for women for the next 50 years. The new facility is the foundation for women to successfully transition from in-custody to life back in their communities.
The WCCC is the only women’s prison in Hawaii and is being expanded to allow for transfer of all female inmates currently housed in the overcrowded, deteriorating Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) in Honolulu. Currently Hawaii PSD’s largest capital improvement project, expansion of the WCCC is an important step towards the eventual replacement of the OCCC facility, which was built back in the 70s with a design capacity for 924 inmates but today houses 1,200 men and women.
