Corrections and Rehabilitation boosts community connectivity, enhances reentry support with Findhelp

The Hawaiʻi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has partnered with Findhelp, a social care technology company, to move from paper referrals onto a digital platform that helps staff connect people in DCR’s care with community services from pretrial through reentry.

Whether someone is sentenced to pretrial supervision, in custody, or preparing to go home, staying connected to housing, employment, healthcare and treatment helps reduce recidivism and increases the chance of successful outcomes for individuals and their ʻohana, according to department officials. “The sooner those connections start, the better,” the department reports.

The platform allows staff to submit referrals and track each referral’s status. Currently, staff track referrals manually, following up with providers one call or email at a time. With Findhelp, staff will see when a participating provider updates a referral’s status and can follow up when a connection needs attention.

The platform will also allow DCR to track which services people use, where service gaps exist on each island and whether available programs match the needs identified by assessments. That information will help the department direct resources toward the services people need most.

“Having one statewide system helps our intake, facility and parole teams work together more easily,” said DCR Director Tommy Johnson. “By moving away from manual tracking and using Findhelp’s coordination tools, we are implementing a more efficient, well-rounded and thorough support system for our staff — and making sure people returning home are connected to the housing, healthcare and job resources they need.”

The technology can also help people complete applications for state and federal benefits, such as Med-QUEST, Hawaiʻi’s Medicaid program, using information staff have already collected. Individuals in DCR facilities will also be able to search for community-based resources and work with their case managers to plan for services after release. Post release, individuals can keep searching for services on findhelp.org, and community-based case managers who use Findhelp can continue working with them on the same platform.

Staff who support people at several points in the criminal legal system will be the first to implement Findhelp at DCR, for functions including:

• Pretrial supervision through the Intake Service Centers;
• Case management while people are in custody; and
• Pre-release planning, including services under Hawaiʻi’s Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Waiver.

DCR expects to expand the platform to staff statewide by summer 2027.

“DCR will keep finding ways to provide comprehensive, wraparound services to people in our custody and care. Modern community partnerships like this one are a big part of that,” Johnson said. “By doing so, we can help with successful reintegration back into the community and reunification with families and loved ones.”