A Christmas Party Helps Jailed Mothers Prepare for Their Freedom

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By New York Times

Published: 12/29/2003

Cuddled in Santa's giant arms for a photo, Gloria Perrotta, 6, volunteered that she wanted a baby doll for Christmas. Bouncing up and down in line waiting for his turn, Brady Nuñez, 6, said he was wishing for Incredible Hulk hands. His brother, Orlando Nieves, 11, who is deaf, quickly signed to his mother, Michelle Texiera, that he wanted blue-and-red sneakers, but that gray ones with a red Nike swoosh were O.K., too.
Fortunately, none of the dozens of children waiting for this Santa seemed prepared to ask for what he could not give: to free their mothers from Rikers Island.
This holiday season, New York City estimates that it has in its foster care program more than 150 children of women being held at Rikers Island. And although most of the women who rotate through the medium- and low-security jail will be there months instead of years, city officials say they are acutely aware of the grief such separation causes the children, particularly at this time of year.
To try to ease the pain and to make the expected reunification of mothers and children smoother, the city invited inmates' children to a Christmas party at the women's jail at Rikers last week. It was the fourth such Christmas party to be held.
Despite the soft carols coming from the stereo and enough candy canes for all the elves at the North Pole, there was no disguising the jailhouse ambience. Sparse strands of gold tinsel decorated the concrete block walls.
Appetizers of cheese puffs and barbecued potato chips were served on paper plates. The mothers were dressed in gray Department of Correction jumpsuits.
Still, many of the women said they were grateful to be having the party.
Technically, inmates have long had the same rights - to see their children once a month and participate in decisions about their care - as other mothers whose children are in temporary foster care. But until recently, the logistics of traveling to Rikers - which is not served by a subway - were complicated enough that many social workers did not routinely make the trip.
Foster care administrators worried that this would strain the ties between parents and children, making reunification less likely or less successful.
Four years ago, the Administration for Children's Services joined with the Correction Department to develop a program to help make visiting Rikers easier.
The city leased vans and hired drivers, and the Correction Department set aside a time just for family visits and space that was "child friendly," meaning an area that did not have barbed wire or iron bars.
The Children of Incarcerated Parents Program, as it was named, allowed for monthly visits and four holiday parties each year, culminating in a three-hour Christmas party.

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