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Creating A Place Of Healing and Forgiveness: The Trauma-Informed Care Initiative at the Women's Community Correctional Center of Hawaii

"Recognizing that most inmates are trauma survivors and many common prison routines can re-traumatize women, the Women’s Community Correctional Center of Hawaii, under the leadership of Warden Mark Kawika Patterson, works to create “a place of healing and forgiveness” [pu'uhonua] through its Trauma- Informed Care Initiative (TICI) ... Reducing the use of restraints and isolation has been a focus of the training and activities of TICI, since these interventions are likely to re-traumatize women who are trauma survivors and cause trauma responses in women who had not previously experienced trauma" (p. 1).

Sections of this publication include:

  • program-at-a-glance;
  • WCCC inmate demography;
  • what trauma is;
  • some potential sources of trauma;
  • trauma's effects on individuals;
  • the consequences of historical trauma;
  • institutional practices can re-traumatize;
  • healing from trauma;
  • planning and implementing the WCCC Trauma-Informed Care Initiative-needs assessment, planning, training on trauma-informed care, and strategic planning;
  • TICI accomplishments-trauma screening and assessment, workforce development, and the use of trauma-informed practices to reduce seclusion and restraint;
  • resources to build the pu'uhonua;
  • keys to success-inspirational leadership, becoming a learning organization, survival participation, community involvement, and partnering with other government agencies, academia, and community-based non-profits.