Iris Carpenter came home from D.C. Jail’s Central Treatment Facility (CTF) on Dec. 7, just in time for the holiday season.
During her nearly four months of incarceration, Carpenter missed Halloween and Thanksgiving, which she said took a toll on her and her eight children. She said making it out of D.C. Jail with her mind intact meant taking classes, including HOPE Foundation’s Family First Parenting Program.
On Saturday, HOPE Foundation organized a holiday gathering at Busboys & Poets Anacostia where Carpenter and her children, along with several other families, enjoyed each other’s company over a hot meal.
Other families made holiday cards for their incarcerated loved ones, many of whom participated in the Family First Parenting Program for 10 weeks alongside Carpenter. That afternoon, Carpenter’s children, along with dozens of other children and teenagers, received toys, bikes, athletic gear and a bevy of other holiday gifts, courtesy of the D.C. United Foundation and Malloy Law.
Carpenter, a 40-year-old Northeast resident, expressed her excitement about being back with her family. She told The Informer that, after changing her mind frame through the HOPE Foundation, she plans to make up for lost time with her children and pursue entrepreneurial endeavors that stalled during her time away.
“The best thing you can do is [participate in the] programming and read,” Carpenter said. “The programming keeps you sane. It helps you focus on the positive and not the negative. I’m getting back to the money. I ran into a lot of good people with smarts. A lot of people in jail don’t belong there.”
The HOPE Foundation and Department of Corrections Collaborate Around Reunification
The HOPE Foundation’s Season of Giving Initiative is in its second year. In total, 120 children received holiday gifts. They also received holiday cards from 51 incarcerated parents.
As of Dec. 4, nearly three out of four women and more than half of the men in the custody of D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC) reported having children. Parents who are DOC residents have an average of two children, a DOC spokesperson said.
They added that, given the average age of parents standing between 34 and 37 years, it’s likely that a significant number of these children are under the age of 18.
For 14 years, the HOPE Foundation has provided programming for parents, and others in DOC custody, that’s centered on life skills, anger management, substance use recovery support, and job readiness.
Through the Family First Parenting Program, CTF residents, who are either pre-trial defendants or serving time for misdemeanors, learn the skills deemed essential for family reunification and sustainable relationships.
Under the auspices of HOPE Foundation founder and executive director Corey Knight and others, they receive information about child development and best parenting practices, including effective communication, discipline strategies, and conflict resolution.
This program is in its ninth year at D.C. Jail.
Two weeks before families met in the Marion Barry Room at Busboys & Poets Anacostia, Knights’ students gathered in the gymnasium of CTF for a holiday get-together of their own. For hours, they ate a hearty meal catered by Community Cafe Express while speaking among one another as the sounds of go-go and hip-hop emanated through the space.
They also created their heartfelt and thought-provoking holiday cards for their children and loved ones.
Before doing so, CTF residents heard words of encouragement from Knight, DOC Deputy Director Jacqueline Williams, Marky Mark of radio’s WKYS 93.9, and Charles King of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. They also participated in an icebreaker where they shared their name and what they learned in the Family First Parenting Program.
Knight, a returning citizen and one of several who advocated for the passage of a 2020 law helping children of incarcerated parents, told The Informer that all the aforementioned elements made the holiday season a bit easier for families that have been broken apart.
“I thought about the children not being able to get holiday gifts,” Knight said. “We wanted to respect all religions and we wanted to make sure we supported the children of incarcerated parents. We also wanted to bring people together to talk about families and children.”
Williams, DOC’s deputy director for education, case management and reentry services, said DOC’s partnership advances its goal of family reunification.
“Everybody that walks through here has to return home and we have to create a space where they are transforming their lives so they can contribute to society and be healthy and whole,” Williams told The Informer. “This helps families see the difference in the residents so the doors aren’t closed in these relationships.”
DOC Residents and Family Members Reflect on Their Situations
On the evening of Dec. 16, a CTF resident who asked to be identified as Cray wrote a holiday card for her five-year-old daughter while in CTF’s gymnasium. Even with her daughter’s weekly visits and their daily phone calls, Cray admits that life has been difficult for both of them.
Being in HOPE Foundation’s parenting class, she said, helps her look toward the future.
“Being a parent isn’t easy when you’re alleged to [have] commit[ed] a crime,” Cray said. “I got to start thinking about my decisions and how they affect my daughter. Parents have to be the best version of themselves. I want to make sure my children don’t have any struggles. It’s not easy.”
Reginald Turner created his card with thoughts about his eventual transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he’s scheduled to serve a three-year sentence.
Turner has been in DOC custody for five years. During that time, he navigated a judicial process slowed down, in part, by the pandemic, all while maintaining a relationship with his now-13-year-old daughter. He said keeping in contact with his daughter meant helping with homework over the phone, conducting video calls, and, most importantly, practicing transparency with her.
“I tell my daughter when I’m wrong and what I’m doing to make myself a better father,” said Turner, 38. “We have communication [so] she don’t have to hide nothing from me. I made up my mind to do the right thing and create a better me for my daughter. “
At Busboys and Poets Anacostia on Saturday, a 20-something Southeast resident remained hopeful that her mother would change her life for the better.
This woman, who requested anonymity, attended the Season of Giving event grateful that her mother, through her connections to the HOPE Foundation, made sure that her grandson received a holiday gift.
As it relates to her mother’s current situation, the woman told The Informer that her mother left D.C. Jail two months ago to serve her sentence in a federal facility in Philadelphia. She spoke of no plans to visit her mother, as both of them agreed it would take a toll on the young woman’s son.
The young woman said that, since her mother’s initial run-in with the judicial system nearly a decade ago, this is her first time getting transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Before then, the young woman, as an adolescent, made visits to CTF for her mother and, before that, her uncle.
As she looked at her 3-year-old son, the woman painted a grim, but promising, picture of what’s ahead for her mother.
“Being in the feds will help her sit down and think about her life,” the young woman said. “While she was in CTF, she got her ServSafe food handler certificate. It kind of motivated her to get a food truck when she comes home. She’s thinking differently this time. I can see the change in her just a little bit.”
Local realtor and social entrepreneur Jenn Banks attended the Season of Giving Event with her daughter and members of her partner’s family. Her partner, who’s been in DOC custody since January, served as the face of Banks’ community service efforts. Since his incarceration, projects have stalled, she said.
Even so, the duo speak on the phone at least twice a day. It’s through those conversations that Banks said she feels the toll that life on the inside takes on her partner.
On Saturday, Banks took in the moment with her partner’s family as her daughter and his children collected toys and other gifts. That experience, she said, further highlighted the importance of family reunification.
“It’s an emotional rollercoaster and depressing but we take it one day at a time, motivate each other and be there for each other,” Banks said. “This event is really special for people in the system, to let them know that you’re still here. It’s nice to bring cheer. You don’t know what people are going through.”
