For many families, the Christmas season is a flutter of present buying, gift wrapping, spreading hints and rumors about the packages under the tree, and finally – on the big day – a whirlwind of bows and torn paper scattered everywhere with much frivolity and laughter.
But for children with incarcerated parents, the situation can be much different. Sixteen-year-old Shae remembers a time when Christmas was a period of tears. The first phase of her life included her father being sent to prison when she was 3, her mother losing custody of her when she was 6, and living with her grandmother who had back-to-back surgeries.
kAm“x 925 ?@ 7C:6?5D[” $926 C6>6>36CD] “x 5:5?’E <?@H H92E H2D 8@:?8 @?] x 4C:65 6G6CJ 52J]”k^Am
kAm%9:?8D D9:7E65 :? $926’D =:76 H96? 96C 525 D:8?65 FA 7@C !C:D@? u6==@HD9:A’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AC:D@?76==@HD9:A]H634@??6I]4@>^2E>:4C@a_`aGanD4l(q`ba`__dU2>Aj5Cl`Qmp?86= %C66k^2m[ 2 AC@8C2> E92E 4@??64ED :?42C46C2E65 A2C6?ED H:E9 E96:C 49:=5C6? E9C@F89 E96 56=:G6CJ @7 r9C:DE>2D 8:7ED]k^Am
kAm“x 8@E 2 ?6H q2C3:6 ECF4< H:E9 2 rs A=2J6C :? E96 324< 2?5 A2;2>2D[” D96 C642==D] “p?5 E96 p?86= %C66 G@=F?E66CD AC2J65 7@C >J 8C2?5>2[ 2?5 D96 DE2CE65 E@ 86E 36EE6C]”k^Am
kAm$926’D 72E96C 4@?E:?F65 E@ D:8? 96C FA 7@C E96 AC@8C2> J62C 27E6C J62C[ >2<:?8 E96 9@=:52JD 2 >F49 3C:89E6C E:>6 7@C 9:D 52F89E6C]k^Am
kAm$:?46 `hfe[ p?86= %C66 92D 56=:G6C65 >@C6 E92? `f >:==:@? r9C:DE>2D 8:7ED E@ >@C6 E92? g >:==:@? 49:=5C6? ?2E:@?H:56] %96D6 8:7ED 2C6 8:G6? E@ 49:=5C6? :? E96 ?2>6 @7 E96:C :?42C46C2E65 A2C6?E[ 96=A:?8 E@ >2:?E2:? 2?5 962= C6=2E:@?D9:AD] %9:D J62C E96 AC@8C2>’D 8@2= :D E@ C6249 cfd[___ 49:=5C6? H:E9 r9C:DE>2D 8:7ED] %92?<D E@ 2 >2E49:?8 8C2?E[ 3J 5@?2E:?8 S`a]dg[ J@F 42? 96=A C6249 EH@ 49:=5C6? H:E9 2 8:7E 2?5 E96 ;@J @7 r9C:DE>2D] r9C:DE>2D :D ;FDE H66<D 2H2J 2?5 p?86= %C66 :D DE:== 72==:?8 D9@CE @7 :ED 8@2= @7 C6249:?8 2== @7 E96 49:=5C6? H9@D6 :?42C46C2E65 A2C6?ED H2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 8:G6 E96> 2 8:7E E9:D r9C:DE>2D] qFE J@F 42? 96=A >2<6 DFC6 6G6CJ @?6 @7 E96 c`[hda C6>2:?:?8 3@JD 2?5 8:C=D 86E 2? p?86= %C66 r9C:DE>2D] s@?2E:@?D 2C6 36:?8 4@==64E65 E9C@F89 s64] ac] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AC:D@?76==@HD9:A]H634@??6I]4@>^2E>:4C@a_`aGanD4l(q`ba`__dU2>Aj5Cl`Qmw6=Ap?86=%C66]4@>k^2m E@ =62C? 9@H J@F 42? 96=A]k^Am
kAmr9:=5C6? H:E9 :?42C46C2E65 A2C6?ED 42? F?56C8@ >2?J 766=:?8D @7 D6A2C2E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 EC2F>2E:4 DEC6DD[ DFCG:G@C 8F:=E[ 56G6=@A>6?E2= C68C6DD:@?D 2?5 A@@C D6=7\4@?46AE] u@C @=56C 49:=5C6?[ E96D6 766=:?8D 42? =625 E@ :?E6C86?6C2E:@?2= 4C:>6 2?5 :?42C46C2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C6A@CE 7C@> E96 &C32? x?DE:EFE6 yFDE:46 !@=:4J r6?E6C]k^Am
kAm~?6 :? E9C66 AC:D@?6CD :D 2 A2C6?E[ 2?5 2? 6DE:>2E65 `]f >:==:@? 49:=5C6? H:== DA6?5 r9C:DE>2D E9:D J62C D6A2C2E65 7C@> E96:C :?42C46C2E65 >@> @C 525]k^Am
kAm$926 92D 8C@H? 8C62E=J D:?46 96C 72E96C D:8?65 96C FA 7@C E96 AC@8C2> >2?J J62CD 28@] $96 ?@H :D :?G@=G65 :? 96C 4@>>F?:EJ[ A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? E96 4966C E62>[ E96 52?46 E62>[ 32D<6E32== 2?5 7=28 7@@E32== 2E 96C D49@@=]k^Am
kAm“x 9@A6 E@ 92G6 2 3:8 72>:=J 2?5 2 3:8 42C66C :? 4C:>:?2= ;FDE:46 2?5 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 29625 @7 >6[” D96 D2JD] “p?5 @7 4@FCD6[ x H:== 2=H2JD 36 96=A:?8 @E96C A6@A=6 2?5 G@=F?E66C:?8[ ;FDE =:<6 p?86= %C66 5:5 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAmy@:? E9@FD2?5D @7 @E96CD H9@ 92G6 5@?2E65 E@ p?86= %C66 2?5 96=A >2<6 E9:D r9C:DE>2D @?6 @7 9@A6 3J G:D:E:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AC:D@?76==@HD9:A]H634@??6I]4@>^2E>:4C@a_`aGanD4l(q`ba`__dU2>Aj5Cl`Qmw6=Ap?86=%C66]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ec_fU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ec_fU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
