GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US.
OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AWARENESS MONTH.
ONE IN EVERY FOUR WOMAN WILL
BECOME A VICTIM ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND FOR SOME WOMEN, THE
VIOLENCE CAN LEAVE THEM DOWN A
DARK PATH EVENTUALLY LEAVING
THEM BEHIND BARS.
BUT THERE IS A PROGRAM HELPING
INMATES HEAL AND TURN THEIR
LIVES AROUND.
FOR MANY INMATES AT THE
WOMEN'S
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER,
THE BARBED WIRE, THE OFFICERS
AND THE PRISON WALLS ARE ALL
THEY KNOW.
NEXT YEAR, IT WILL BE 15
YEARS ALTOGETHER.
CANDACE SAID SHE WAS JUST 18
YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WENT TO
PRISON.
I HAVE DONE TIME
ON THE
MAINLAND AND HERE.
SHE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE
FAMILIAR WITH LOSING HER
FREEDOM.
THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME
HERE.
I DID FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO THIS
AND THIS IS A NEW CHARGE.
THAT WAS MY BIGGEST THING, DRUG
ABUSE AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS
OTHERS.
BESIDES BREAKING THE LAW,
THEY HAD SOMETHING ELSE AND
COMMON -- AT ONE
POINT, THEY
WERE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE SOMETHING THEY SAY
FORCED THEM DOWN THE WRONG PATH
IN LIFE.
I QUESTION MYSELF WORTH.
SHE HAS A HISTORY OF
INCARCERATION WHICH INCLUDES
DOING TIME FOR THEFT AND OTHER
VEHICLE CHARGES.
CRIMINALITY WAS A WAY FOR ME
TO SURVIVE.
♪
SOME OF THESE WOMEN ARE
LEARNING THAT THERE IS HOPE.
♪
THANKS TO A WEEKLY CLASS.
IT IS CALLED SURVIVORS OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
♪
I THINK FOR A LOT OF THEM,
BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY HAVE GONE
THROUGH AND THE TRAUMA AND OUR
LIVES, THEY FORGOT WHO THEY
TRULY WERE.
HELLO.
SHE IS THE PROGRAM MANAGER
AND SHE SAYS IT STARTS WITH
TEACHING THE WOMEN HOW TO VALUE
THEMSELVES.
THEY HAVE LOST THEIR
SELF-ESTEEM.
THEY STRUGGLE LOOKING AT
THEMSELVES AS HUMAN BEINGS.
AS SOMEONE MORE THAN AN INMATE.
IT IS EASY TO LOSE HOPE IN A
PLACE LIKE THIS WHEN YOU LOSE
YOUR FREEDOM AND YOU'RE
CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF YOUR PAST
MISTAKES.
WHEN THEY COME TO THE PROGRAM,
THEY ARE NO LONGER VIEWED AS
INMATES BUT ARE TREATED AS
FAMILY.
THEY DON'T LOOK AT US
AS
CRIMINALS.
THEY TREAT US WITH RESPECT AND
TREAT US LIKE WE ARE PEOPLE AND
THAT IS RARE FOR US.
THE CLASS IS TAUGHT THROUGH
HAWAIIAN CULTURE.
LET HIM SHARE IN THIS FOOD
TOGETHER.
THEY CONNECT THE WOMEN
WITH
THEIR CULTURE AND LEARN GOOD
VALUES.
THIS
IS FOR THEM TO IDENTIFY
THEMSELVES WITH THEMSELVES SO
THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND THAT
THEY COME FROM THERE CORE AND
NOT THERE RECENT PAST.
SHE SAYS THE PROGRAM TEACHES
THEM HOW TO BE KIND TO
THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.
WHEN THEY FEEL BETTER ABOUT
THEMSELVES, THEY WANT TO DO
BETTER AND BE BETTER.
AND FOR MANY OF THEM, IT IS
HAPPENING.
IF I GIVE MYSELF A CHANCE, I
CAN BETTER MYSELF AND FOLLOW A
RATS -- A RIGHTEOUS PATH.
I AM LEARNING
WHY I WAS SO
ANGRY INSIDE.
I HAVE LET GO A LOT OF THE
HURTS.
BREEZE IN THE POSITIVES --
BREATHE IN THE POSITIVES AND
EXHALE THE NEGATIVES.
THROUGH THE PROGRAM, THEY ARE
LEARNING JOY, SOMETHING THEY
HAVE NOT FELT FOR YEARS.
THE PROCESS IS LEARNING THESE
LESSONS INSIDE.
I ASKED THE WOMEN WHAT THEY
WANT TO TELL OTHERS AND THEY
TELL ME THAT -- YOU ARE NOT
ALONE.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS
ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP, CALL
THE DOMESTIC ABUSE HOT LINE.