Montana DOC employees bring holiday cheer to inmates, their families

The holiday season is particularly difficult for families with incarcerated loved ones, so each year, Montana Department of Corrections’ employees do their best to deliver some seasonal joy to inmates and their families.

CHRISTMAS WITH CAMPP MT: PARENT REUNIFICATON PROGRAM BRINGS FAMILIES TOGETHER AT MSP

Inside a tiny red house on the grounds of Montana State Prison, Michael Conway and his family were just the Conway family. They didn't think about the breast cancer Conway's wife recently beat, and how Conway would stay behind in Deer Lodge while his family went back to Butte in a few, short hours. For a time during the Connecting Adult and Minors through Positive Parenting (CAMPP) Montana program, the Conways were just a family.

At the CAMPP MT house, the holiday spirit was in full swing as three families visited their incarcerated fathers. In the main room, a Christmas tree was set up with presents next to a cardboard fireplace with a Santa figure sitting on top. Later, each child would have their own gift - wrapped by their dad - to open with their family.

"I know it's minuscule to a lot of people, but it meant the world to be able to wrap a present for my son," Conway said. "You can talk about how much you care about somebody, but to show them how you care for them is a whole different thing. And that's something that I can do to show him that I love him and that I was thinking about him even when he wasn't here. And he knows that I love him, but it's just something else that I could do, and it meant the world to me."

The CAMPP MT program was established at MSP in 2019. The grant-funded program's goal is to initiate the reunification process for incarcerated fathers and their minor children in a positive and structured environment. In many cases, the children involved in the program are in foster care.

To enroll in the program, inmates must send a message to the CAMPP MT coordinator, Cienna Crichton, expressing their interest. If an inmate passes the screening process and completes an interview, Crichton reaches out to the involved children’s supervising guardian to see if they want to get involved in the program. If the guardian consents, the father must participate in parenting classes at which time contact is made between parent and child.
The program grant covers the cost of hotel rooms for families to travel to town for a two-day visit. Crichton said these meetings are a magical experience.

"You can feel the love in the room," she said. "Just them getting to rejoice with their families again is quite the experience that we take for granted every day when we're with our families. This is really for the kids. They absolutely love seeing their dads. They miss them, and it's a great thing to be a part of."

Elliana's Saddler's dad, William, has been in and out of MSP over the years. She hasn't done a visit inside the prison before, but she knows how valuable these in-person visits are with her dad.

"It's pretty special to be able to visit my dad," she said. "I don't get to see him much. I kind of need a dad because it would be really hard if I wasn't able to see him. So, I'm glad that they have this CAMPP so I can see my dad and do activities with him."

THE GIVING TREE, CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR KIDS

Every year, DOC employees help spread holiday cheer to the children of inmates through the Giving Tree and the holiday book recording project.

Parents incarcerated at Montana State Prison and Montana Women’s Prison can sign up their children to receive gifts courtesy of the Giving Tree. This year, 110 families from all corners of Montana received gifts from DOC employees. Many out-of-state families received gifts as well.

The education departments at MWP and MSP took the lead on the holiday book recording project.
The incarcerated parents choose between two books — “The Night Before Christmas” and “You Are Always in my Heart” — and record their voices reading the book. In addition, they include a short holiday message for their little ones at the end. The books are then mailed to the inmates’ families. DOC staff members helped record 87 books this year.

“We know how important family connections are in the success of offenders when they leave DOC supervision,” DOC Director Brian Gootkin said. “So, it’s great when we can offer these holiday activities to help parents feel connected to their kids. They love that they can send a piece of themselves home and our employees love that they can help facilitate that moment.”