KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ahead of Thanksgiving, FOX 17 sat down with an inmate and a corrections deputy to hear what they're thankful for even though their holiday looks a lot different than what they're used to.
The inmate who wanted to remain anonymous has a different kind of gratitude list. In jail for over a month, she's looking forward to her Christmas release date, but being on her road to redemption is what she's thankful for the most.
"I've lost a lot of people that I've cared about in this addiction. And I want to ... I want to be able to watch my grandkids grow," she said.
When asked by her 4-year-old granddaughter why she won't be home for the holiday, she tells her it's a long story.
"I did tell my granddaughter that I called Santa Claus and I asked him if I could be her present. And she said, 'You did? Oh, I can't wait; tell Santa Claus "thank you,"'" the inmate recalled.
Normally around this time of year, she would be in the kitchen cooking with her 4-year-old granddaughter, who just started helping last year. However, those moments are a memory this year. Instead, she will be spending the holiday at the Kalamazoo County Jail.
"I veered off and I didn't know how to get back. But it's time for me to be the person that I was raised to be; I need to be a good grandmother like my grandmas were to me, a good mom, and I'm ready for that," she said.
She told FOX 17 she started using meth at a young age to lose weight, leading her down a road to addiction and incarceration. However, it's a detour she's thankful for.
"It's the first time I've been clean for a long time, because I'm incarcerated, but it's helping me," she said. "So if I continue that, with the resources that they offer, I think I can be successful this time."
It may not be the average gratitude list, but for her, it's the light at the end of a dark tunnel.
"I've seen what addiction can lead to: incarceration or death. So I want to live. I want to enjoy my life and it's about time I started enjoying," she said.
While not in the same situation as this inmate, Corrections Deputy Kaila Jefferson understands what it's like not being home for the holidays.
"Being away from my family is hard," she said. "But knowing that I'm being here, for residents who are also away from their families, it just makes you feel a little better."
Jefferson says during this time of year, the staff's bond with the inmates is more important than ever.
"It's like we kind of grow a relationship or rapport with these people and even more so around the holidays; we'll, like, try to play, like, holiday movies." She added that she checks in with the inmates often.
Jefferson and other staff members will increase their rounds and connect inmates with resources like Integrates Services of Kalamazoo to help them get in a better headspace.
Q (Yasmeen Ludy): "Do you think that missing out on time with their family kind of pushes the residents to do better after release?"
A (Kaila Jefferson): "I think it gives them the motivation to get out in the world and do better for themselves so they don't have to end up in the same predicament. ... One mistake does not make you who you are; you can still change; you can fix every mistake that you make."
When both ladies were asked what their message is to those enjoying the holidays in the comfort of their own home, they shared the same sentiment.
"Just be thankful you can go see your family when you want; you can talk to your family when you want; just things like the small things that we might take for granted that once you get in here, it's hard to do certain things," Jefferson said.
"Tomorrow's never promised to anybody. So, enjoy life and your family," the inmate told FOX 17.
