(BOP) - In August, 2015, twelve children ages 9 - 14 spent five hours a day with their dads working on art projects, playing games, dancing, writing poetry and strengthening relationships. The fathers are inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland, Maryland, who were selected to participate in an annual arts-based father and child summer camp.
The five-day camp brings in local artists to help fathers and children create an "art story" of their lives. Each family paints a giant (8'x10') mural that depicts a perfect day together - what would they be doing if dad was not in prison. Sometimes the murals portray a positive memory of past activity together. Other families choose to create a mural that represents a dream of something they would like to do together. This year, in addition to visual arts, the families worked with a poet to write poetry together.
While working on the art projects, each family has time time to talk and catch up on each other's lives. They share hopes and dreams and often rebuild relationships strained or sometimes shattered by incarceration. During the past 14 years, two children have met their fathers for the first time at camp.
The camp is sponsored by a DC-based organization that helps incarcerated dads stay connected to their children. This summer, in addition to the Cumberland-hosted event, both FCI Big Spring and FCI Dublin hosted summer camps.