Prisoners celebrate Christmas behind bars with family

Most of us think of Christmas and think of family and food. And while the inmates of Hattieville Prison are deprived of spending quality time with their loved ones every other day of the year, since the Kolbe Foundation took over, administrators have used Christmas Day as a Family Day. According to a press release issued by the facility today, some three thousand visitors took advantage of the opportunity this year, bringing with them “baskets, boxes and even buckets” of home cooked food” for loved ones. In return, the children of the inmates each received a gift, courtesy of Prison Fellowship Belize. With that size crowd, Kolbe employees were supported by members of the Belize Defence Force and the Police Department. Kolbe says the cost of the extra security and the day itself was worth it as the foundation’s aim is to keep families together and turn the inmates into productive citizens.