Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff writer
James Neal Van Winkle had only joined the Roosevelt County Detention Center’s Children Uniting with Parents program to be able to see his son Daemon and daughter Fiona, but he said he got so much more.
“They not only got to visit me, but I learned how to raise my kids and be a better father to them,” Van Winkle said.
link Lillian Bowe: Staff photo
The CUP group feasted on a roast beef sandwich, salad, French fries and cake as part of their celebration. They also received certificates for graduating the 16-week program.
Van Winkle was one of seven inmates in the 16-week CUP program, which teaches parenting skills while allowing inmates to interact with their children through visits. CUP is run by the prison and volunteers from Eastern New Mexico University. Thursday CUP program participants celebrated their graduation.
Roosevelt County Detention Center Administrator David Casanova said this is the first time they had a formal graduation for the inmates in the group and their children were able to attend.
Stephen Melby, professor of social work, and ENMU student Michelle Howard, volunteered their time to teach the inmates parent skills.
“They were so receptive to it and they wanted to learn,” Melby said.
Howard said they had different material for them to read about parenting and they really took all the lessons to heart.
“It was so much fun teaching these guys. They are an awesome bunch,” Howard said.
For Kandis Merrill, the only female inmate to graduate the program, she said CUP was life-changing.
“What I learned really hit the heart,” Merrill said. “I learned how to be a good parent and how much I impact my own children. All the things I do have an affect on my children.”
They feasted on a meal of a roast beef sandwich, salad, and French fries, and the group was able to eat with their children and spend quality time with them. After the meal, Melby handed out certificates and inmate Luis Rivas said he would be framing his to remind him of how he changed for his kids.
“I am very blessed to be a part of this program and we have the best teachers,” said Rivas of Melby and Howard.
The group also got to enjoy cake and the children got Easter candy that was prepared by their parents.
“I am doing this all for my daughter,” Marquise Cooper said.
The program has been running for three years and is open to low-security inmates and is offered twice a year.
Melby said the program was started by Patricia Saylor, an ENMU professor of social work, and this year she volunteered to teach the program.