WCCC hosts first wellness fair for corrections officers and non-uniformed staff

Approximately a dozen community groups and cultural practitioners provided complimentary massages, yoga sessions and more for staff at the Women’s Community Correctional Center’s first wellness fair Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.

The facility hosted the fair in collaboration with Project Koa Yoga and Hui Mauli Ola, a nonprofit organization of cultural practitioners committed to the traditional art of Hawaiian healing. 

The event centered on holistic health where practitioners provided lomilomi (Hawaiian massage), information on lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian herbal medicine) and yoga sessions for uniformed and non-uniformed staff. Various vendors also provided information on blood pressure, healthy foods and ways to combat stress.

Approximately 160 corrections officers and 45 non-uniformed personnel are currently employed at WCCC.

Hui Mauli Ola Executive Director Katherine Burke said they participated in the fair “to mālama (to care for)” staff that care for the women in custody at WCCC. “It’s all interconnected,” Burke said. 

Project Koa Yoga co-founder Laura Toyofuku-Aki provided yoga demonstrations that included breathing and grounding techniques that foster a sense of calm and connection.

Director Tommy Johnson of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said, “Self-care is critical for our uniformed and non-uniformed staff. Our staff is the backbone of this department and when they are healthy and well, we are able to do our jobs better.”

Since the department’s redesignation from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Jan. 1, 2024, the department is making a concerted effort to prioritize health and wellness for uniformed and non-uniformed staff.

DCR recently hosted a wellness fair at the department’s Training Academy in Iwilei. The Hālawa Correctional Facility also plans to host a wellness fair for staff later this month.

Corrections officers and non-uniformed staff who work long hours and are, at times, exposed to violence at facilities are susceptible to burnout, anxiety, depression and other adverse impacts to their physical and mental health.

DCR Deputy Director Melanie Martin of the Administration Division, who leads wellness efforts for the department, said, “DCR is deeply committed to prioritizing the health and wellness of its staff by fostering a supportive work environment. We provide resources and programs that encourage physical fitness, mental well-being and work-life balance, ensuring employees feel valued and cared for.”

“This focus helps boost morale, productivity and overall job satisfaction, creating a healthier and more motivated workforce,” Martin said

A fitness enthusiast, Martin issues weekly wellness messages to staff to educate, inform and remind staff about proper nutrition, exercise and more.

At the wellness fair, WCCC Warden Ione “Noni” Guillonta said, “I think it’s very important that we cater to the health of our staff, both uniformed and non-uniformed staff.”

Guillonta noted that they plan to host the wellness fair annually. “It’s important that (staff) self-care. Because if they self-care, they’re going to be advantageous to the offenders that we serve,” she added.

WCCC Education Supervisor Kahaʻe Maikai-Iakopo organized the event to provide staff resources that focus on the importance of self-care. “It’s so crucial for uniformed staff and non-uniformed staff to really take care of themselves. Because if they’re not able to take care of themselves, then they’re not able to take care of anybody else whether at work or at home.”

“Self-care is so important, so vital for any career or job that you might have, but most particularly here as we take of the women in our care here at WCCC…,” Maikai-Iakopo added.