Commencement ceremony honors first graduates from Women’s Court

The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary honored the first six graduates of its Mohala Wahine program—also known as Women’s Court—during a ceremony held Wednesday in the Supreme Court courtroom.

“These women deserve our admiration,” said Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald. “They’ve made tremendous progress—not only in transforming their own lives but also in strengthening the lives of those who rely on them. Their success shows that the Mohala Wahine program offers an effective path forward for justice-involved women.”

Each of the graduates has completed all program requirements, including substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, payment of fines, stable housing, consistent employment or educational training, and sustained sobriety. Program participants are required to attend regular court hearings before the Mohala Wahine judge, frequent meetings with their probation officers, weekly group classes and remain engaged in their individualized treatment plans.

Mohala Wahine (meaning “blossoming woman”) began in 2023 as a pilot program in the First Circuit on Oʻahu to keep justice-involved women out of jail and prison by addressing common underlying issues specific to women who have committed non-violent crimes.

Rather than sending these women to jail, the program is an alternative to incarceration based on the probation model of other specialty courts, such as Girls Court and Veterans Court. The Women’s Court uses a “humane justice” and “compassionate court” approach, with the core objective of providing trauma-informed care, gender-responsive services in mental health, substance use disorder treatment, education, as well as training in domestic violence prevention and life-skills.

Due to the program’s success, this past legislative session the Hawaiʻi State Legislature passed House Bill 727 making Mohala Wahine permanent in the First Circuit and establishing a similar pilot program in the Third Circuit on Hawaiʻi Island (Kona division), which will launch this September.

“Each of the six women in this inaugural class worked hard to earn their graduation certificates,” said Circuit Court Judge Trish Morikawa, who presides over Women’s Court. “They met the expectations and requirements that the program set for them and they reached the goals that they set for themselves. We look forward to their continued success and are grateful for their support of the other women in the program.”

During the ceremony, the graduates spoke to the more than 125 people in attendance—including family members, friends, dignitaries and individuals who helped build the Mohala Wahine program. They credited the program with transforming their lives.

“It gave me hope. It gave me peace of mind knowing that there is a future ahead of me. To all the staff at Women’s Court, thank you so much,” said Veronica Hanawahine, a member of the graduating class.