ARRIVAL OF BUSES AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR TEENAGE GIRLS CYA PROGRAM UNITES FAMILIES, DESPITE INCARCERATIONS.Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer CAMARILLO - Tears welled in Beverly Hubbard's eyes Saturday as she spotted the 18-year-old granddaughter she hadn't seen in more than four years. ``Oooohh, she got big, she got so big,'' said Hubbard as she wrapped her arms around granddaughter Laqweesha Reed and rocked her back and forth. Reed, a ward of the Ventura Youth Correctional Center in Camarillo, was reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with her grandmother and mother for a brief time because of Get on the Bus, a California Youth Authority program that buses in families to visit inmates. Through the program, four Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, families were able to visit children in the CYA CYA Cover your ass. See Defensive medicine. lockup See hang and abend. , the only one in the state that houses female juvenile offenders. On Mother's Day this year, the program reunited 20 wards with their children. ``This is all I wanted for Christmas, was to see my baby,'' said Reed's mother, Leah Hubbard, as tears rolled down her cheeks. Hubbard has no car, so the last time Reed saw her was in January. ``It feels so good, I appreciate this so much,'' Reed said. About half of the facility's inmates rarely, if ever, receive visitors, in part because many of their families don't have reliable transportation, officials said. ``It's crucial to keep the family connected,'' said Catherine Conneally- Salazar, the center's Catholic chaplain CHAPLAIN. A clergyman appointed to say prayers and perform divine service. Each house of congress usually appoints it own chaplain. . ``If you don't, (the young women) get isolated and depressed. For some, it's really hard during the holidays.'' Studies show that the more family support incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. youths have, the lower their rate of recidivism recidivism: see criminology. , she said. Jailed females tend to have fewer family visits than their male counterparts. Some in the lockups don't see their mothers because they also may be behind bars. For Saturday's visit, officials at the Camarillo facility attempted to create more of a family atmosphere, bringing in a holiday cake, pictures with Santa, donated clothes and even a Season's Greetings picture booth decorated with cardboard cutouts. ``For me, the best was being able to give my sisters and my mama a Christmas gift,'' said Antoinette Bright, an 18-year-old ward who had not seen her mother and three of her sisters in two years. Responded her mother, Sharina Sifford of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. : ``When I saw her, I was rejoicing to see that smile, to know that I love her and I'm not giving up on her. It was the best Christmas present.'' Rachel Uranga, (818) 713-3741 rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Eleanor Bright hugs her daughter Antoinette after seeing her for the first time in two years as part of the California Youth Authority's Get on the Bus program at the facility in Camarillo. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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