Tehachapi News

All > News
Inmates celebrate Father’s Day
Topics:
Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 1288 times
2 responses 0 comments On June 16, CCI Tehachapi became the first male prison to participate in the statewide outreach program titled, Get on the Bus. The 8-year-old program has traditionally been a Mother’s Day event, but this year, fathers are finally getting their day.

“We’re doing it for the children, to support their right to see, touch and talk to their incarcerated parent,” said the program’s founder Sister Suzanne Jabro, who works at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office of Restorative Justice.

“Having a mother and a father is really important for each of us. Keeping families intact is the main desire for any community, but unfortunately policies practices and procedures don’t always reflect those family values,” Jabro said.

Jabro said that emotional difficulties are prevalent among kids with incarcerated parents, and that counseling is provided before, during and after the event. 

“These kids are going to have a lot of issues to deal with, but the bottom line is that this is their parent, and if they can’t get out to see him or her they’ll remain strangers,” Jabro said.

The program, which is sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, brings children and their guardians or caregivers from areas throughout the state of California to visit an incarcerated parent.

Jabro said that CCI Tehachapi was chosen to pilot the men’s program because many of the prisoners they see in LA jails end up at CCI Tehachapi.

She said that in many cases male inmates see their kids more often than female inmates because the men’s prisons are closer to L.A.

According to Jabro, nine inmates were selected out of 17 applicants but only 5 families were able to make it to the event. Three families, including one with an 18-month-old baby just didn’t make it to the bus. Jabro said that after months of assisting one guardian with documentation of birth certificates and completing the necessary paperwork, the children were suddenly taken into custody by child protective services the day before the event.  

“With women inmates, it is generally their mothers or sisters who are caring for their kids. With male inmates, it’s often difficult to coordinate with an ex-wife or girlfriend, who may have a new family now,” Jabro said.

Jabro said that was exactly the case for one 11-year-old Fontana girl who’s mother did not want to participate in the event.

After meeting with volunteers and counselors from the program the girl’s mother allowed her child to be escorted by a volunteer from the Archdiocese to see the father she’d never met. In accordance with the mother’s wishes the father and child were not identified by name.         

According to Jabro, the girl was very anxious to know the man who is her father. During the lengthy wait for the inmates to be led in, the girl bounced and danced around the visiting room, holding an outdated picture of the dad she has never known.

When the inmates were led in, volunteers directed the hesitant father toward his anxious daughter and the two met with a fierce embrace.

“He’s much more handsome than I thought,” said the eleven year old who also said she was glad he wasn’t fat and short. She brought photos of her younger siblings and pictures she had drawn for her dad, including a Father’s day card. The two talked about their likes and dislikes, while volunteers helped to ease their nervousness. 

The inmates were chosen from Level II security, and according to CCI’s Chaplain, Deacon Clyde Davis. They were selected based upon how long it had been since they had seen their children.

“I don’t want to know their crimes. I try not to be biased, but I am a human. I just tell them that God doesn’t care what they’ve done in the past,” Davis said. Davis said that along with four other chaplains from different denominations, he ministers to the entire population of nearly 6,000 inmates. Davis said that developing trust is the key to opening communication.

Davis said that many of the inmates on Level II, which is considered minimum security, are doing time for drug related charges. Sentences range from one to eight years on average.  

“This is the best father’s day gift I’ve ever had,” said Thomas Joseph Sanchez, an inmate from Orange County.

Sanchez met his 11-year-old daughter Hailey for the first time last June. Hailey’s mother Carol Evans encouraged visitation between the father and daughter last summer. She said that over Christmas, Hailey was also able to meet her paternal grandfather for the first time, before her father was incarcerated earlier this year.

Sanchez will be released in October when he will enter a rehab program in Los Angeles. He said he won’t be able to visit with his daughter for the first 90 days, but is hopeful that her mother will continue to support their visitation once he is allowed visitors again.

“I wish I would have straightened up and married her years ago,” Sanchez said.

Hailey’s mother, Carol Evans, of Anaheim, is also a foster parent to 9-year-old Melissa Eberhart. Melissa’s mother is currently incarcerated at Chowchilla women’s prison where the Get on the Bus program sends more than 400 children and their guardians to visit incarcerated mothers each Mother’s Day.

Hailey said she was excited to see her dad and that she can’t wait to go swimming and ice skating with him when he gets out.

“She’s going to have to teach me that one,” Sanchez said.   
    
Moira Reynolds, an Inglewood resident, is raising her four children alone until their father, Darren Reynolds is released on July 20. She brought their four children to visit their dad.  

“I do it with the grace of God,” said Moira. “I couldn’t do it alone.”

Darren beamed and hugged each of his four children approximately 30 times in the space of two hours. Darren said he was very grateful to have his family visit him but that he plans to spend next Father’s Day at home with his family.

A member of Chaplain Davis’ ministry, inmate Juan Garcia had an emotional reunion with his 16-year- old son, Chris Garcia, of Huntington Park. The boy’s mother sat with her son until Garcia came in and then excused herself. Social workers spoke softly with each of the parents offering comfort during the highly emotional visit.

According to Davis, Garcia initially didn’t want to bother filling out the application because he didn’t think his son’s mother would allow him to visit. Davis said Garcia’s daughter was also scheduled to come but didn’t make it.   

“It is just such a blessing to see my son,” said the tearful inmate.

In addition to counseling services and help with documentation, Get on the Bus offers free transportation for the children and their guardians, provides them all with a free lunch during the visit, and each child receives a teddy bear and a letter from dad to read on the bus home. 

According to the California Department of Corrections, many children with incarcerated parents develop emotional and behavioral problems, and it is estimated that 30 to 50 percent of boys will be incarcerated themselves.

Sister Jabro is hopeful that bringing incarcerated fathers closer to their children will help decrease those statistics. 

“We are hoping that this first Father’s Day event is the beginning of a new tradition, and that it follows in the incredible success of our Mother’s Day event,” Jabro said.
CCI Tehachapi’s Public Information Officer Lt. Mike Coghlan said the event was representative of the job they hope to accomplish at the facility.

“This is the good stuff,” Coghlan said,. “This is how you facilitate rehabilitation.”

 Coughlan said that keeping families together and offering drug rehabilitation on the outside is key to keeping the inmate population down on the inside of California’s correctional facilities.   

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles coordinated all fundraising for the event, including interdenominational partners throughout California, as well as numerous private individuals, clubs and companies.

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation