Smiling faces and the sound of children’s laughter are not something one expects to find inside the razor wire of a correctional facility, but on Monday, that’s exactly what filled the grounds at Richland Correctional Institution (RiCI). RiCI hosted their “Family Ties, Strengthening the Bond” event, giving approved offenders the chance to spend the day with their children in a fun, family friendly environment.
Everything found in a typical family fun carnival was included for the day. From arts and crafts, games, basketball, outdoor activities including a deejay, to a cookout and sundae bar, the event kept children entertained and engaged with the fathers they’d come to visit.
The event even included a family photo, with a copy for the children as well as one for the inmate to keep. RiCI inmates decorated backdrops for the photos, including a super hero collage as well as a beach scene.
“Richland Correctional is about reintegration,” said RiCI Correctional Wardens Assistant, Jennifer Gillece. “We’re about getting them ready to go back out as a restored citizen, and reunification. During incarceration, that gap makes it very hard to try and walk back into that family role when they’ve been absent. Opportunities like this really help in addressing some of that, and help some get ready to become that restored citizen.”
RiCI Warden Maggie Bradshaw said, “We feel inmates who have a good support system to go home to are less likely to recidivate. That’s part of the things we see as most important, the bonds between families. We hope that allowing the children to come in, it allows them to tighten that bond with their child.”
Linda Owens, whose husband is a RiCI inmate, attended the event with their daughter, Megan Owens, age 16. The pair traveled from Cleveland so that Megan Owens could spend a bit of time with her father in a less restricted environment than what is typical of regular visitation.
“She’s older, but it’s hard for her to adjust to her dad not being there. I can’t imagine with these little ones what it’s like for them,” said Linda Owens, of the small children crowding the craft tables. “This has to be really exciting for them to spend a whole day with their daddy like this.”
“The staff here went above and beyond,” said Linda Owens of the event. “I didn’t expect it to be this much. I didn’t expect all these arts and crafts and things for the kids to do.”
Inmates without families present volunteered their assistance in managing games and serving food.
Deputy Warden of Special Services Staci Freeman chaired the committee for the event. She noted that about 280 family members were in attendance. The event was open to offenders’ children and step-children, ages 1 to 17, as well as an accompanying adult.
The event had been held in previous years, but not since 2010. “This year, we wanted to do this close to Father’s Day,” said Freeman.
Freeman noted that an extensive amount of planning went into the event, “We’d been planning for about three months. We had a lot of paperwork we sent out with rules, expectations, and criteria.”
“We think it’s really important for the family to come together. We think it’s important for the inmates’ rehabilitation to be connected to the family for that support, and for the dad to spend time with their children outside of regular visiting where they’re just sitting across from each other. They are really actively engaged today with a lot of various activities,” said Freeman.
Cathy Donovan, RiCI administrative professional, assisted with the event. “Today’s just all about family and family interaction.”
“We think it’s important for the inmates’ rehabilitation to be connected to the family for that support, and for the dad to spend time with their children outside of regular visiting where they’re just sitting across from each other,” said Staci Freeman.
