Father’s Day Prison Visits
right now dot com. father’s day weekend is here, and we all know that however you decide to spend it the most important part is being with dad. but for some kids, that time is *very limited because their fathers are in prison today they reunited with their dads for the first time in 6 months.. here’s news channel 5’s erika mahoney *trt:outcue::*==take pkg== erika:jake, thanks to a program called “get on the bus,” kids from all over california were bused to soledad for father’s day. i met some very loving families today who have been looking forward to this for a long time pkg:nat– little kid jumps of bus –a long bus ride needs a little jump at the end sometimes.for some of these kids, more than 6 hours on the road.nat– bus –but a small trip in comparison to the many days they’ve waited.nat– fence opening –on the other side… dads eager to scoop up their kids. sot leigha pierson, daughter… reading card outloud to dad”dear daddy, i missed you a lot. i know it’s hard, but it’s almost over…10-year-old leah liegha pierson hasn’t seen her dad in four months.sot levester pierson, father”i’m really happy right now… kiss.””i missed my bab dearly, this is a great program.”for the last 16 years… “get on the bus” ha helped keep kids stay connected to their fathers in prison. erika mahoney, soledad “families get to spend 5 hours together, having lunch, playing games, and doing things like face painting… are you having fun? yes.””ge on the bus” pays for everything, with help from local volunteers.and for some families, it’s the only way they’re able to all be together at the same time. sot israel iglesias”as you can see, it’s a lot of mouths to feed, and it’s a long trip, and it’s expensive.”israel iglesias has five kids… and says they’ve all changed a lot since the last time he saw them.cover sot israel iglesias “their hair is longer, they’re taller, they eat more, everything is different.”but one thing is still the same: he’s their dad. and while celebrating father’s day in prison may be out of the ordinary… it brings extraordinary hope to the entire family. marion spearman, warden at correctional training facility”the main thing this does is give an offender hope.” hope that one day, father’s day will be celebrated at home. sot leigha pierson, daughter… reading card outloud to dad”…can’t wait until you get out. love, yours truly, leigha.”tag:a great day for all of these families, but leaving can be very difficult. to help that transition back home, “get on the bus” ha counselors on every bus. vo: they also have a surprise on each seat waiting for the kids — a letter from dad and a stuffed bear.back on cam: in the newsroom, erika mahoney,
