Kids of incarcerated parents gets extra special Christmas gift

MCKEE, Ky. (WLEX) – The kids who met Santa at the Jackson County Detention Center got a special gift; a reunion with their parent.

Some inmates haven’t hugged their child in years, the jailer said.

“Just having that positive interaction with their parent, who they’ll always love no matter what they did,” said Rocco Besednjak from Camp Hero, who helped organize the reunions. “Those tears show that they are a human being.”

Roughly half of U.S. inmates have a child under the age of 18, according to the most recent federal data. That means more than a million children won’t have a parent home for the holidays.

Former inmate Gail Faira shared what that experience can feel like.

She said being away from her children was the hardest thing she has ever done.

Now, she’s helping make sure the kids of incarcerated parents don’t just get a pair of shoes or a toy this Christmas.

Experts say children of inmates can experience separation anxiety, trauma and even guilt. They say sometimes those feelings result in life-long consequences.

Besednjak said he hopes something like this can be a turning point for inmates, something he hopes will lead them to making better decisions.