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Community Support Group Project—a feasibility study

Community Communications, a Big Isle 501(c)(3) educational organization, is conducting a feasibility study for a proposed weekly locally televised support group for Hawaii's parolees.

The free support group, called the Community Support Group (CSG), consists of 24 three-hour sessions, one a week during a six-month period. The CSG format was designed by Kerrith (Kerry) King, the president of the nonprofit Community Communications. Various support groups facilitated by Kerry have been meeting for nearly three decades. Kerry's present support group for businesspersons has been meeting every other week for 17 years, the last nine years with perfect on-time attendance and zero unexcused absences. Support Group participants commit to keeping agreements, telling the truth, communicating from personal responsibility, and to supporting each other setting and reaching goals.

The CSG will consist of 10 volunteer parolees (referred to as participants) 10 volunteer co-facilitator/assistants, a facilitator, and the Big Island community of television viewers. The televised series will include live phone calls from viewers during the 24 weekly three-hour sessions. Viewers may call and share their experience of the conversations and their considerations about any participant. Everyone will coach the participants in support of each parolee successfully completing his/her parole. Most importantly, participants will form supportive relationships with thousands of Big Isle viewers thereby facilitating the transition from inmate, to parolee, to supportive community member.

The goal of the CSG is: None of the parolees return to prison, ever. A recent study indicated that the way we have been communicating with (supporting) parolees results in approx 42% recidivism. Part of the project includes teaching parolees how to eventually be facilitators of their own ten-person support group.

Community Communications is gathering feedback to be considered in formulating the intention to present the proposed Community Support Group Project to the Hawaii County Mayor, Hawaii County Council Members, the Hawaii County Superintendent of Corrections, and Hilo 5 TV and Na Leo 'O Hawaii, the local public access television stations.

Community support for the project is being collected via the Community Support Group Project website http://www.bigislandforum.org/csgp/index.htm. The website outlines various ways to support the project, including: voting in favor of the CSG, volunteering to assist, or agreeing to watch at least one televised episode. If you do not have access to a computer a librarian will show you how cast your vote on your library's computer. You may also cast a vote or send feedback about the project by post card: CSGP c/o Community Communications, 15-2721 O'opu Street, Pahoa, HI 96778. Votes/feedback will be posted to the website.

Read more about the Community Support Group Project and cast your vote at, http://www.bigislandforum.org/csgp/index.htm

Note: Kulani Correctional Facility has been closed

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