Wakulla inmates bond with their children

Normal visitation days for inmates at Wakulla Correctional Institution are Saturdays and Sundays. They are allowed an initialhug,and then must sit across a table from their loved one without making further contact.

But for a few hours Thursday morning, inmate Stevie Taylor was surrounded by 13 of his closest family members. They played board games and moved freely around the room, Taylor's eight granddaughters and three grandsons delighting in playing Monopoly with their grandfather.

Children of Inmates Visits, Inc., in partnership with the Department of Corrections as well as Living Stones International, a children and family outreach organization, brought the Children of Inmates Bonding Visits to Wakulla Correctional three years ago.

"I've been with the program for some time now, about three years. Since the beginning. It's been a great source of inspiration for me," said Taylor, 55. His current release date is listed as June of 2020, according to the Department of Corrections' website.

"This is something that Inever wouldhave thought could happen, with me being in here. I get a chance to interact with them one on one, with nothing interrupting. It's like having a special day out."

Taylor's daughter,TaviyaPittman, said that getting the family together for the bonding visit is "fun and exciting."

"You get the chance to see how they've been doing in here. You can share old memories."

The program, which began facilitating bonding visits for eight children, now connects more than 250 children with their parents across the state of Florida.

The visits, which feature a catered lunch, healthysnacksand arts-and-crafts supplies, are designed to provide a healthy environment for children to be able to visit with their incarcerated parents.

Senior Pastor Gary Montgomery with Living Stones said the program makes a difference across generations.

"Seventy percent of children of inmates will be incarcerated sometime in their lifetime," Montgomery said. "That's the basis of this program, to throw a lifeline to the children."

The program's services for children extend beyond just parental bonding time. Living Stones International provides tutoring for grades kindergarten through eighth grade, with volunteer tutors from Florida State and FAMU.

"During the time of separation, there tends to be anger, frustration. Many times the children won't do well in school," Montgomery said. "We've seen some of these issues start to disappear, we've seen the children start to thrive in school."

Montgomery said inmates who participate in the program often become driven to seek additional constructive ways to use their time.

"When they get the chance to bond with families, inmates tend to sign up for more faith- and character-based programs."

The Department of Corrections website calls its faith and character-based programs "an innovative effort to reduce recidivism and disciplinary infractions in correctional institutions." The Wakulla Corrections Institution's Annex becamea FCBIinstitution in 2011.

"It's a very exciting thing to see the inmates be able to see their children, and see how well they're doing," said Warden Jacob Sorey.

All of the bonding visits at Wakulla have themes, and Thursday's was no different. Living Stones went with a patriotic theme, bringing out cowboy hats and baseball gear, and the inmates and their families had hot dogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken for lunch and competed in America-themed trivia.

"A lot of inmates don't have this kind of a net," Taylor said. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't get visits. I love it."