‘You make it special’: MDC hosts annual Christmas party for inmates’ children

The holiday season can be a tough time of year, especially for young ones with parents behind bars.

That is why the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center helps put on an annual Christmas party for children of inmates housed in the jail.

"It's an opportunity for families, the children, to interact with us, to see us in a positive way," MDC Warden Kai Smith said.

This year's holiday gathering took place inside the Westside Community Center earlier this month where kiddos received stuffed animals, backpacks filled with school supplies, took photos with Santa and wrote letters expressing how much they missed their parents.

The photos and cards were uploaded onto a tablet and shown to their parents, Bernalillo County Social Services Program Manager Amy Abeyta said.

MDC spokesperson Daniel Trujillo said 50 children signed up for the event, though only seven came. The participants were children of inmates who have a release date after Dec. 19 and perform jail duties details like kitchen and laundry, he said.

"It's pretty good for the kids who have relatives who are incarcerated (to) feel like they're not alone; that there's a community that supports them," said Carlos Medina, who came to the party with his nephew.

The party was hosted by MDC and the Gordon Bernell Charter School, which works with MDC to give inmates a chance to pursue an education while they are incarcerated.

Former Bernalillo County employee Gordon Bernell came up with the idea for the party over 20 years ago. When the pandemic hit, MDC had to put it on hold. Last year, however, Charter School employees asked MDC if it was interested in starting back up again, Trujillo said. 

"It's an opportunity for us to recognize the unintended victims of everything," Smith said. "The kids had nothing to do with (why their parent is in jail) it. But here we are."

He said he wants the children to remain connected with their parents even though they can't be with them, especially during the holidays.

"That connection is lost when somebody goes to prison and it's unfortunate because then the relationship starts to get strained because the child truly doesn't understand," Smith said. "They just know mom and dad (are) not there. So, this is an opportunity for them to do some stuff (and let them know that) other families are going through the same thing."

As Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" played on Dec. 7, some children made gingerbread houses while others had their photos taken with Santa Claus.

Steve Abeyta, who played Santa, said he performed at the party because he enjoys helping children and wanted "to let them have some sort of happiness for Christmas."

"When you put on the Santa suit, you become the person of Santa, spiritually, and so you got to make sure that you make it special," he said. "I know it's rough with their parents being away this time of year. They don't really ask for anything. They're happy with whatever."

Sherry Johnson, who brought her granddaughter to the party, said the event is great "because most communities don't care about the families (of inmates) at all."

Next year, Trujillo said, the plan is to open the event to families of all MDC inmates.