New Kauai carpentry program prepares inmates for jobs after release

News admin August 7, 2026 0 Comments

New Kauai carpentry program prepares inmates for jobs after release

LIHUE (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kauai inmates can now pursue workforce readiness and higher education while incarcerated.

Launched in partnership with Kauai Community College (KCC) and Kauai Community Correctional Center (KCCC), the Kauai CC Carpentry program is designed for inmates nearing release to build career skills and earn credentials that can accelerate their degree.

Over the summer, Kauai CC Carpentry Instructor Duke Lang led 16 students at KCCC through a carpentry micro-credential offered by the college’s Office of Continuing Education and Training (OCET).

“The students are engaged. They’re asking questions,” said KCCC educational specialist Darcy Yamamoto. “We’re hoping they will have an idea of what they want to do or the path they need to be on.”

As part of the course, students are constructing a new classroom and office space to expand the number of instructional areas at the facility.

Once completed, inmates will have access to additional resources including extra courses, resume development, job searches, and other workforce readiness programs.

“We’re hoping to give them a different opportunity when they get out from doing their time here,” Lang said. “The feedback they’re giving me is, ‘Wow, I can really see how this can be useful. When I get out, I think I’m going to come see you.’”

Students who complete the micro-credential will receive credit for their foundational coursework, allowing them to bypass introductory classes if they enroll in KCC’s Associate in Applied Science in Carpentry program.

“It’s really divine timing that this program is being offered while I’m here,” said Stephen Spigner, who is nearing his release next month. “It seems like sort of a miracle.”

Spigner originally moved to Kauai to pursue carpentry before his incarceration, and this program has renewed his initial passion in the trades.

“There’s a sense of dignity these students are going to have when they leave KCCC,” said OCET education specialist Pomai Burkhart. “Knowledge is power, and you can’t take knowledge away from someone.”