Kids get Christmas gifts from parents at Milwaukee County House of Correction

Christmas can be bittersweet for children with a parent in jail or prison. 

Saturday, it was a little sweet for kids who visited their mom or dad at the Milwaukee County House of Correction in Franklin, where they got Christmas presents in a program that also rewarded inmates for positive accomplishments.

It went like this: Inmates who signed up for the program earned Christmas gifts for their children by completing a course such as parenting skills or job readiness. Then, their Christmas wish list was sent to Hales Corners Lutheran Church, where members bought gifts, wrapped them and took them to the Christmas party at the House of Correction. 

The kids visited with their incarcerated parent, through a video screen, and the parent got to watch while their kids received the presents. 

“This is very, very special,” Jataun Pointer said at the Christmas party with her four children to visit their father, Antwuan Pointer.

“We are praying for better days,” she said.

The program was similar to a national effort, called Angel Tree, that uses churches to minister to thousands of children by delivering a gift and the gospel message on behalf of their incarcerated parent.

Since 1982, Angel Tree has delivered more than 10 million gifts to children on behalf of more than 4 million imprisoned adults.

Hales Corners Lutheran, which has been involved with Angel Tree, wanted to do something like it on a local level, volunteer Christian Wood said.

“When families are struggling, going through what could be a very dark time in their lives, this is a way that we can say the light of the world still shines,” Wood said.

About 60 inmates of 80 or so eligible signed up for the program in its inaugural year at House of Correction.

“We wanted to do something different, rather than the same process where offenders just write down the names of family members, and presents are sent to the home. So we thought that we would bring the program here,” Assistant Superintendent Jose Hernandez said.

It was important that inmates earned the gifts for their kids, giving them a sense of accomplishment, Hernandez said.

"Hopefully, this encourages them to pursue more opportunities we have," Hernandez said.

“Providing things without any kind of earning system doesn’t really build much self-respect that’s the foundation for transformation,” he said. 

Each family only had about 30 minutes to visit with their incarcerated loved one. 

Still, it was a morale boost for inmates to see their kids. 

“Given the situation that some of these guys are in, to be able to have their families come in and open presents in front of them, kind of lifts their spirits,” said Lt. Jason Laird with the House of Correction.

The kids met with Santa Claus, and the House of Correction lobby was staffed with Hales Corners Lutheran volunteers handing out Christmas treats and helping kids with cards. 

“I think it’s pretty cool, watching families pray with Santa. I couldn’t tell you the last time we had kids just hanging out in the front lobby of the jail,” said Capt. Brandon Hutchins with the House of Correction. 

“This is one of those sparkly-top things that you put on top of the Christmas tree,” he said about the party. 

There’s nothing cheery about being locked up at Christmas, but through this program, inmates did something for their kids that, in turn, gave them a sense of accomplishment and purpose. 

The timing, just before Christmas, was good, said Cassandra Brown, at the party with her son Jonathan.

“It’s a nice program. I like it,” she said.