MANSFIELD — The little girl sat in her father’s lap, his left arm holding her steady. Her light brown curls rested on his shoulder as he colored the stripes of a seashell with a blue marker.
Another dad tossed an orange foam football with his son in the yard. They both smiled and exchanged light-hearted insults.
“You could never be a wide receiver,” the teen teased after his father missed a catch.
It wasn’t a typical day at the Richland Correction Institution. It was Father’s Day.
The Richland Correctional Institution hosted its Picnic with Pops/Day with Dads on Saturday afternoon in partnership with Richland County Children’s Services and Richland County Youth and Family Council.
About 32 incarcerated men spent the day with their partners, children and family members.
In the yard, kids and their fathers played soccer, kickball and corn hole. They tossed footballs. They competed in Jenga and Connect Four. Families lined up to pet a white pony and have their picture taken with a Polaroid camera.
Inside, they ate hot dogs, chips and ice cream. Children crowded around a pair of service dogs, who eagerly soaked up the attention.
Pastor Raymond Cochran Jr. from Oasis of Love Church stood at the front of the gym, urging attendees to lean on God, fight for their families and never give up.
“God makes you all with a specific purpose, and life does not end because we hit tough roads. Life gives us the chance to make the proper adjustments,” he exhorted.
“Let me tell you something: As long as you have breath in your body, you have a chance.”
‘It gives them hope that they’re not forgotten’
The prison typically has at least one family engagement event per quarter, according to Warden Angela Stuff.
Kevin Stovall said his girlfriend and their 8-year-old son have visited three of those events this year.
“Honestly, right now, I really needed this,” Stovall said. “Being away from your family for so long, you need this to keep your your head in a good space.
“To be around all these people and just happiness, it’s a nice switch up.”
Prison officials said maintaining family ties is important for inmates’ well-being and futures.
“Family is one of the most critical things when it comes to reducing recidivism and keeping these guys in a positive direction upon their release,” said Kenneth Spencer, operational compliance manager at RCI.
“Spending time with their families, that’s one of the best things that they can do and it’s great for the families, too.”
Oranges Hodges brought her 15-year-old nephew to the event so he could spend time with his father.
“(The children of incarcerated people) still need to have relationships and know where they come from,” she said. “They need to be able to build a relationship and not go off of what other people tell them.”
Standing in the sun watching her brother and nephew toss a football, she said she appreciated the lighthearted, fun nature of the event.
Most of the time, visiting a loved one in prison is limited to sitting across from them at a table.
“Sometimes it’s not fun visiting the facility with all the different restrictions,” she said.
Keisha Allen is the deputy warden of special services at RCI. She said more laidback events like Picnic with Pop allow inmates to reconnect with their identity as fathers in more tangible ways.
“They get to interact,” Allen said. “They get to play with (their kids), maybe scold them a time or two if they do something wrong,” Allen said.
“It gives them hope and it makes them know that they’re not forgotten about.”
Michelle Miller, executive director of the Richland County Youth and Family Council, said events like Saturday’s benefit children, too.
“I think it’s important for the youth to know that their dads are happy to see them and doing OK,” she said.
