Trick or Treat: CCWF visiting hosts family holiday fun

On Oct. 26, 2024, Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) Warden Anissa de La Cruz and her administration team held its annual Halloween event in the visiting room. Incarcerated individuals who are part of the Community Resource Manager (CRM) volunteer decorating committee worked diligently with Gabriella Armendariz, the CRM, and her office staff members to decorate the visiting room for the arriving children and families.

The visiting room was decked out with a few booths off to the side. There was a table filled with a variety of jumbo-sized cookies and mixed candies. A booth was set up with volunteer incarcerated individuals awaiting children and family members who wanted their faces painted or Halloween — themed water-based tattoos applied to their hands or faces.

A spooky Beetlejuice prop and a humongous inflated witch head backdrop were set up for families to take pictures which showcased the Halloween theme. This set the tone for the children to arrive, ready for a day to spend time with their loved ones. The families had the opportunity to create memories with their children.

Upon arrival of both inside and outside visitors, all you could see was the shock of excitement and appreciation in their eyes for the colorful setting. Every single child that entered through the doors jumped with joy seeing the inflatable witch head with lit-up red eyes. Some kids even thought the witch head was a bouncy house.

For Halloween 2024, not many families participated in the event, unlike in years past. There were approximately five families in attendance. However, despite the low turnout, the excitement made up for it.

Sarina Mendoza is a wife and mother of three sons. Her husband and boys visit with her frequently and attended last year’s Halloween event.

“My youngest son, Jordan, age 7, was looking forward to this because he had a blast at last year’s event,” she said.

During my interview with Sarina, Jordan stated with joy, “Mommy, come here so I can paint on your face!!!” He was able to dress up in his Halloween costume as Harry Potter and take a photo with his mom.

Damion Rodriguez was also visiting with his mother, Juanita Rodriguez, and his nephew Isaac. Damion is one of our many transmen peers residing in CCWF.

“Being able to color and create this Halloween memory with my nephew is so huge for me and I’m very thankful for this moment,” he said. His mother added, “This was a very nice gesture for CCWF to extend for us today. The love they put into making it look beautiful was felt as we entered the visiting room. The staff and volunteers made us feel welcomed and comfortable.”

While Isaac was coloring, he chimed in shyly saying, “I really like the huge green witch and Beetlejuice is cool too.”

Talking with one of my peers at the paint booth, I noticed something gigantic and unfamiliar outside. Oh my goodness gracious!!! In the outdoor patio area, there stood a newly installed jungle gym. The adults sat chit-chatting amongst each other, watching their young ones explore the huge new structure.

The jungle gym consists of swings, a spiral slide, and a rock and rope climbing section. A little house at the very bottom contains double doors and open windows. And finally, at the very top, there is a small corridor with a telescope for the kids to scope out the scenery. The kids were lost in the moment of adventure. So was I. It was beautiful to hear the children’s laughter as they played together.

Being able to see the joy on the families’ faces and hear their humbled spirits in their voices let me know that CCWF has been proactive in exhibiting the California Model, trying to implement normalization within these walls and strive towards the most important goals we model…reunification.

“It was amazing being able to participate in the Halloween Event,” Crystal Mejia said. Mejia, a member of the decorating committee, also participated in the event in 2023.

“It’s just disappointing that more families weren’t able to come this year, but I hope that with the new jungle gym we have will increase families coming to visit in the future. I also hope we’ll have music and more costumes for a costume contest next year, and that the upcoming Christmas event will be spectacular.”