While most families get together during the holiday season, that is often not the case for those who are incarcerated.
But on Tuesday night, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Community Benefit Committee gave trustees in the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center that chance with their third annual Christmas party.
Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said trustees are incarcerated on nonviolent charges, and they work to help maintain the jail and serve the community throughout the year. The party was a way to show the department’s appreciation for the trustees and to give them time with their families.
“The biggest perk they get is to spend a little time with their family on Christmas,” Hawkins said. “It means a lot to them and it means a lot to me to see the smiles on everybody’s faces when you get to spend a little bit of time with them.”
Trustee Chris Hudgens said he has been incarcerated for three months, with nine more to serve. He was excited to get to spend time with his wife and adult son during the party, as phone calls cannot replace physically sitting together.
“It’s just a time to heal from being separated and bridge the gap a little bit,” Hudgens said.
While the party included a meal and time with family, it also included a visit from Santa Claus, along with gifts for the young children and relatives of the trustees.
Lt. Rhonda Sanders, who also is the president of the Community Benefit Committee, said a toy drive, along with fundraisers like the sheriff’s office annual haunted house, helped provide toys for the giveaway.
The trustees then “shopped” through the provided toys, picking out what they thought their children and young relatives would enjoy best for the holiday. After the families ate a meal together, Santa Claus and the trustees distributed presents to their children. This included skateboards, bikes, dolls, beauty products and more.
“We all know that when a parent is incarcerated, the child is mostly affected from it,” Sanders said. “We want to prevent the erosion of the relationship.”
Janie Shields, treasurer for the Community Benefit Committee, said one of her parents was incarcerated when she was younger, and a program like this would have been important to her growing up.
“It would have been nice to have a program like this when I was younger and when I was going through my situation and my dad wasn’t able to provide a Christmas for me and my mom in some instances,” Shields said.
Trustee Tevin Williams attended the party with many relatives, including his daughter, niece and nephew. Seeing them, he said, felt “wonderful.”
Bonda Williams, Tevin’s mother, called attending the Christmas party an “honor.”
“It’s amazing to me, because it’s my first time doing this,” Williams said. “But I love it, what they’re doing for them and the kids. … His daughter, she just misses her dad so much and that’s all she talks about.”
Because of the party, Tevin picked out presents for all three children, including a bike and an Elsa doll for his daughter.
“It feels so good to give back to the community,” Tevin said. “We have been working so hard, so hard, to give these kids a Christmas.”
Tevin said he is looking forward to being home soon, once his time in the jail is over, to create more memories with his family.
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