Fathers READ Their Way into Children’s Lives

The distance between an incarcerated father and his child can be as short as the space from the beginning page to the back cover of a book. Through the Father READ program at Kit Carson Correctional Center, inmates are working to let their children know that they care, even when they’re miles apart.

When inmates participate in Father READ, they read books to their children through a DVD recording. The DVD is then mailed to their children, along with a copy of the same book so they can follow along. “It helps place the role and voice of the father back into the home,” says Jason Erhart, unit manager at KCCC, who launched the program.

“The Father READ program is one of the best things offered here,” says John Beers, an inmate at the facility. “I have done it twice, and both times my family was extremely moved by it. For me, it means even more because I am unable to get visits from my family. This is the only way to bring myself to them so that we can have some time together.”

Beers is just one of more than 100 inmates who have benefited from the program, along with their families.

“It gives our offenders time to do something different, something positive that enhances their family profile,” says Steve Neal, assistant warden of operations. “When you talk to the inmates about it, you can tell that they really get something from it. I think that something is a sense of giving back.”

Father READ began at KCCC in March 2008. Erhart sent a memo to all facility inmate populations notifying them of the program. To participate, inmates pay $5, which includes the DVD for their children, a feedback survey and shipping costs. Inmates choose books that are donated courtesy of the Prairie Family Center, a local thrift store that helps to meet community needs. Participants also select backdrops hand painted by fellow offenders for the tapings.

“A lot of the inmates will actually cry because of some of the feedback from their families,” Erhart says. “It really helps the child see their dad. They realize that they do have a father, and he is trying to be a part of their lives even though he is in prison.”

For some children, watching their father read to them has become a nightly ritual, which can be both memorable and educational.

“It has given me a chance to connect and communicate with my kids,” says Alprintis Smith, KCCC inmate. “It has also given my kids a greater interest in reading books by reading along with their father.”

Despite the distance between fathers and their children, Father READ has strengthened family ties and brought fatherly affection closer to home.

“My kids say it always brings them to tears because they are happy to be able to physically see me and hear my voice,” says Beers. “As a father, this means more than anyone could ever know.”