KEIKI REUNITE WITH INCARCERATED FATHERS AT HĀLAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY TO CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY
HONOLULU — At the Hālawa Correctional Facility, the 12-year-old son of inmate Paul E. Abiley Jr. walked into facility courtyard Saturday morning and smiled as soon as he saw his father standing there facing him.
The child hugged his dad tightly, buried his head onto Abiley’s chest and didn’t want to let go. Abiley wrapped his arms around his son and kissed his head as the child wiped away tears from his face with his hands and T-shirt.
It was the first time the child hugged his father in two years.
The Hālawa Correctional Facility, in collaboration with Keiki O Ka ʻĀina (KOKA) Family Learning Centers, hosted Father’s Day – Keiki Day at the facility for eight fathers, 10 children, one grandchild and eight caregivers on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Facility staff and approximately 20 volunteers decorated the courtyard with Father’s Day banners, balloons and metallic streamers. Floral arrangements of red ginger, birds of paradise, puakenikeni, plumeria and ti leaves also adorned the courtyard pillars and tables.
The function was an emotional and heartfelt event for fathers because they were able to have physical contact with their children. Generally, all HCF visits are non-contact visits where fathers and their loved ones would either communicate via phone, video tablet or through a glass window at the facility.
Keiki Day is an incentive for eligible fathers who exhibited good behavior and completed a parenting class.
For more than three hours, fathers and their children threw a football to each other, played games and participated in arts and crafts. Volunteers also served shave ice to families.
Fathers and keiki also enjoyed a barbecue lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, fruit parfait, cookies and cupcakes.
Facility staff worked closely with KOKA to ensure fathers and their children had a memorable time.
As Abiley and his son sat together in the courtyard, Abiley turned to his son and said, “I missed you. I missed you so much.”
“I think this is one real rewarding thing,” Abiley, 50. said of the Keiki Day event, adding that it served as motivation for him to do better.
At the event, inmate Donovan K. Duarte Jr. held his 7-month old son for the first time. “It’s a blessing,” Duarte, 28, said as he cradled his baby in his arms. “I’m just super grateful.”
This is the second Keiki Day event at HCF this year. The facility hosted its first Keiki Day in April where fathers spent quality time with their children to celebrate Easter. The facility plans to host a third event later this year.
Director Tommy Johnson of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation greeted fathers, children and loved ones at the event. He also thanked facility staff, volunteers and inmates for their hard work organizing the event.
“Keiki Day events are critically important for fathers to maintain a relationship with their children,” Johnson said. “Family reunification plays a vital role in rehabilitation.”
HCF Warden Shannon Cluney said that fathers maintaining a positive bond with their children is crucial. “At some point, these men are going to be returning to society, and we want to do what we can on this end to ensure that there’s a seamless transition as possible,” Cluney said.
Executive Director Momi Akana of Keiki O Ka ʻĀina Family Learning Centers said Keiki Day events truly make a difference. Children are able to express to their fathers how much they mean to them and dads are able to receive that love, Akana said. “We’re really hoping that what happens is that dads make that decision, ‘When I’m out of here, I’m never coming back.’”
Footage and photos of the Keiki Day event are available at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16FEXytKOi_VJUhCcimPd9zRketqQKGOC?usp=sharing.
The images are courtesy of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Media Contact:
Rosemarie Bernardo
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Office: 808-587-1358
Cell: 808-683-5507
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov