You've likely seen or heard us referring to the term "self-surrender." This means that someone who is about to serve their sentence is told when and where to appear instead of being forcibly taken to prison. Federal pretrial and probation officers as well as sentencing judges determine self-surrender eligibility. Those ineligible for self-surrender are taken into custody while they await sentencing, and while that time counts toward their sentence, they miss out on opportunities—like our programs—that can help them get on the right path and reduce their sentence.
All of our graduates are able to self-surrender to prison after their sentencing. Our time together prior to that is spent helping them establish strong community connections so they have the right support systems while in prison and after their release, which reduces the likelihood of recidivism. With our holistic approach, we go above and beyond our foodservice internship and apprenticeship programs by focusing on other areas to prepare them and set them up for success. This includes:
- Advocating and working with their attorneys to gather documentation, video testimonies, and other pertinent information
- Assisting with travel arrangements to their self-surrender location, which is often on the mainland
- Connecting them with dentists as poor oral health is a problem in many prisons and prisoners often lack access to good dental care
We humbly ask for your help to ensure that we can continue providing these much-needed services and types of assistance.
To donate airline miles, please contact info@touchahearthawaii.org or (808) 779-7083.
To make a monetary donation, visit the link below.
Checks can be mailed to:
Touch A Heart
98-820 Moanalua Rd.
Unit 15-1, PMB #224
Aiea, HI 96701
Cash and checks may also be dropped off during our Kupuna and Family Meals pickups.
Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!