Pizza from Papa John’s and cookies from Costco.
Gifts and books for kids of all ages, from newborns to teenagers.
An impromptu game of Duck, Duck, Goose.
The only atypical things about Saturday’s Winter Wonderland holiday party were the January date and the venue: York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut.
Twenty incarcerated mothers were joined by their children, caregivers, and correctional staff for the CT Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative (CTCIP) sponsored event, the culmination of months of planning focused on family connection and child-centered engagement.
In late September 2025, the CTCIP team at UConn’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) discussed ways to acknowledge Children with Incarcerated Parents Awareness Month in October and plan for a year-end event. With limited time, the team decided to create something new. As the longest-running IMRP initiative, funded by the Connecticut General Assembly since 2008, CTCIP wanted an event that reflected its mission and could stand on its own.
That’s when Kate Mazzotta, CTCIP Policy and Research Associate, raised a key question: “Why can’t we do it at a facility?”
York Correctional Institution, already a partner in several IMRP initiatives including the International Justice Exchange (IJE), and home to motherhood and caregiver-focused programming, was quick to respond.
“We pitched the idea to York as we’ve been doing great work together in family engagement. We wanted to expand and showcase the facility’s commitment to these types of programs,” explained IMRP Operations Coordinator Irvine Peck’s-Agaya, who also serves as head of the CTCIP team.
Roles were quickly defined. York provided the space and the participants. IMRP funded and planned the event, including food, gifts, and activities. Elizabeth Canavan, CTCIP Educational Resource Coordinator, created an Amazon gift wish list of toys and books based on the anticipated ages of children attending. Through outreach to community partners and promotion on social media, over 200 items were purchased, nearly all on the list. Additional items were donated through the Hartford Mayor’s office and via volunteer Deb Martinez who does similar work at Cheshire correctional institution.
Mazzotta then cross-referenced the gift list with names provided by York to ensure each child received at least three presents selected specifically for them.
“The gifts were really intentional,” said Mazzotta, who admitted her office looked a bit like “Santa’s workshop” in the week leading up to the event.
“How did you know I love these things?” exclaimed one teenager as she opened her gifts.
The four-hour celebration included arts and crafts, hula hoops and games, and photo backdrops where families could take pictures to frame and keep. Pizza, snacks, and juice were available throughout the afternoon.
“It went so smoothly,” said Peck’s-Agaya, noting the spontaneous game of Duck, Duck Goose. “I’m really impressed with DOC’s ability to be less structured at the event and to let the moms be parents in the moment.”
“Everyone was in good spirits,” agreed Mazzotta. “The moms and the kids were so excited. It exceeded all our expectations.” She added that CTCIP is already thinking about future programming.
“As we are expanding our organization and the scope of work we do, programming is a big part of that. Children with Incarcerated Parents are such an underserved population. For us, it’s important to give them a sense of normalcy, to bridge the gap between what’s allowed at a prison.”
Peck’s-Agaya echoed that sentiment. “A lot of our work tends to lean toward policy,” she said. “We want more visibility with families and caregivers. This was a good way to do that. It’s the start of the year and we want to reintroduce CTCIP to the DOC and to the legislature; to say we’re here and we’re creating new possibilities.”
As CTCIP enters its next phase, the York celebration represents a renewed commitment to pairing policy leadership with meaningful, child-centered experiences.
“Can’t wait for next year!” agreed one corrections officer as the event wrapped up.
