CDCR staff make Easter visiting special

Across California, CDCR staff made Easter special for families visiting their incarcerated loved ones. Games, treats, refreshments and photo opportunities gave families a chance to make positive memories. Events such as these strengthen family bonds, improving rehabilitation and reentry success.

Editor’s note: This round-up will be updated as more submissions are received. They have been published in the order they were received with the latest at the end.

CSP-Corcoran staff, family council make Easter visit a success

The 20205 annual Easter event at California State Prison, Corcoran, was a resounding success, the Visiting Department announced. The Visiting Department staff, the incarcerated population and visitors came together on Easter to embrace the California Model by further uniting families and sharing precious moments together. 

This event holds a special place in the hearts of CSP-Corcoran staff.

“We work hard ensuring the incarcerated population and visitors feel a sense of normalization,” according to staff.

Incarcerated persons decorated Easter-themed photo frames to place memorable photos from the event. The visiting rooms and processing areas were filled with laughter and event tears of joy for some. 

Visiting Department staff took the time to have discussions with several incarcerated persons housed on various facilities while celebrating the Easter event. The incarcerated population and visitors were excited to talk about how implementing events like these have positively impacted their lives. Something so small as decorating photo frames as a family has opened their eyes to the possibilities of life after prison.

“CSP-Corcoran is proud to carve our own path on the way to truly achieving monumental steps in efforts of the California Model,” said the Visiting Department staff.

Submitted by Lt. J. McIntyre

CCI welcomes families for Easter visiting

California Correctional Institution (CCI) at Tehachapi welcomed families of the incarcerated population to celebrate Easter with their loved ones. CCI’s visiting staff provided gifts, decor, and backdrops in order to get bring Easter-magic alive. All children received Easter baskets which included an egg, Easter bunny ears, coloring/activity pages, and stickers. On their way out, they also received bubbles. “A special thank you to our visiting staff for making this day so special and creating memorable moments for the incarcerated and their families,” organizers said.

Submitted by Lt. T. Harrison

High Desert hosts Easter festival

The High Desert State Prison (HDSP) Visiting Department and the incarcerated persons’ family council collaborated to make this Easter extra special. Holiday events are guaranteed hits among kids and family, and Easter is no exception. With so many fun traditions, it was important to ensure this event was memorable.

Each of HDSP’s five visiting rooms hosted an Epic Easter Egg Hunt where Peter Cottontail provided each. The children were then able to participate in the hunt for candy-filled eggs.

Family’s celebrated spring’s arrival with games, coloring activities, and traditional egg dyeing. Most important of all, they celebrated the day together.

“This was our first visit to our son (in prison),” said one visitor. “We did not expect to spend Easter in such a positive way.”

Submitted by Lt. J. Micone

Coloring, fidgets, treats at Pelican Bay

Pelican Bay State Prison visiting staff got into the spirit of Easter with decorations and preparing goody bags for the kids. As families visited with their loved ones, staff handed out Easter bags to each child in the visiting rooms. The Easter bags contained a coloring book, colored pencils, bubbles and a few filled plastic eggs. Staff also had buckets set up with a variety of fidget toys and crochet animals to let the kids pick what items they wanted to finish filling their bags. 

Submitted by Lt. S. Leon

Contests, crafts at California Institution for Women

California Institution for Women celebrated Easter with an assortment of events, including coloring activities, egg hunt, candy treats and an egg toss. The building was filled with laughter and joy as the families came together for the festivities.

Submitted by Lt. W. Newborg

Visiting families enjoy CMF visiting event

Incarcerated persons (IP), their loved ones and California Medical Facility (CMF) staff celebrated the Easter holiday on April 20. Visiting families rejoiced while participating in craft sessions, a book fair, and an egg hunt complete with a concealed surprise. 

The CMF Crochet for Charity group held a craft session with the visiting families using donated materials to create seasonal art. 

This is CMF’s third annual Easter event with staff and families expressing gratitude to spend the day in a positive and cheerful setting. “Events like this break up the monotony and bring us closer together,” said IP Bruno-Martinez. The children were also treated to a book fair at the Easter event, thanks to donated books arriving through the Community Resouces Manager’s Office.

CMF Easter Bunny also posed for pictures. Meanwhile, acting Warden S.M. Williams was also reported to be on grounds but was suspiciously absent during the Easter bunny’s rounds. 

Staff and the families interacted throughout the day’s events.

Visiting Officer L. Blunt was pleased with the event’s success.

“This year’s event is bigger than last years,” Blunt said. “CMF really shows out”.

At the end of the day, the children were given Easter baskets filled with candy and goodies donated by the CMF Blind Project along with the Vang and Bruno-Martinez families.

Sgt. Melissa Jones, the CMF visiting team, and volunteers from visiting families and the Community Resources Manager’s Office planned the day’s events to a resounding success. They also agree the bar has been set a little bit higher for next year. 

Story by Lt. C. Bennamon
Photos by acting Community Resources Manager S. Vazquez 
Submitted by Lt. A. Toomer

Easter bunny visits Valley State Prison

Children were all smiles as the Easter bunny posed for photos and interacted with families in the visiting area at Valley State Prison.

Submitted by Lt. A. Salas

SATF staff makes Easter visiting special

The Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF) and State Prison at Corcoran got into the Easter holiday, making it special for visiting families.

Submitted by Lt. K. Cade

Centinela gets crafty for Easter

The Centinela Visiting Department and the incarcerated persons’ family council hosted a craft activity for Easter. Visitors along with their incarcerated loved ones were provided Easter crafts, and festive photo props. A goody bag was given to the children when they exited the visiting processing area.

Submitted by Lt. D. Loop

Dozens of children enjoy Folsom State Prison Easter visiting event

Once again, Folsom State Prison’s Easter event was a success with 47 children participating in the festivities. The Easter bunny quickly stopped by visiting processing to say hello prior to the visitors entering the event. During their visit, they could take photos with their incarcerated loved ones while listening to kid-friendly music. There was also an Easter egg hunt and game stations for the children to win prizes. After the event, each child left with an Easter basket, gift bags with toys as well as an additional prize of their choice.

Written by Visiting Lt. R. Dunlop
Submitted by Lt. J. Pagan

Easter visiting made special at CCWF

Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) Visiting celebrated Easter with incarcerated individuals and their families Saturday, April 19.

Approximately 16 visiting children, from the ages of 2 to 15, participated in Easter bunny photos, face-painting, egg hunt, and games. Everyone enjoyed refreshments and candy.

The games and activities stations were set up throughout visiting for children and adults. These activities brought smiles to the faces of the visitors and incarcerated.

The event served as a reminder of the importance of maintaining family connections and relationships. It allowed families to demonstrate their unwavering support and reaffirm their commitment to their incarcerated loved ones’ rehabilitation. Warden Anissa De La Cruz stresses the importance of Family Unification and strengthening bonds through these types of connecting events.

“The correctional officer who was the Easter bunny was surely the highlight of the event, with staff and visitors alike taking photos and visiting with the joyful bunny,” said Community Resources Manager Gabriella Armendariz.

Submitted by Lt. M. Williams

CHCF offers crafts, egg hunt for visiting children

The California Health Care Facility (CHCF) in Stockton hosted a cheerful Easter event for the incarcerated population and their visitors. The celebration featured a colorful craft station where families enjoyed dyed eggs and making easter baskets together.

Adding to the festive spirit, the incarcerated person took part in hiding eggs around the Visiting patio for their loved ones to take part in an Easter egg hunt. A special appearance by CHCF Sgt. F. Lenh as Peter Rabbit brought smiles and laughter, making the day even more memorable.

Submitted by Lt. M. Orozco

Calipatria State Prison hosts Easter visiting

On Saturday, April 19, Calipatria State Prison’s Visiting Department and the incarcerated persons family council (IFC) worked together to host an Easter celebration. The event was made available to incarcerated persons and their loved ones during visitation. Activities included coloring, photo frame decorating, face painting, and Easter bingo. During the event, there were many laughs and smiles as families took this time to bond and engage in a positive way. Calipatria prison visiting staff received positive feedback from families who participated in the activities. Events like this help to provide a positive environment and strengthen family ties while also creating memorable moments. The IFC said they also received a lot of positive feedback from visitors over holiday weekend.

Submitted by Lt. E. Uribe

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