Pictured from left to right: Khari Bailey, WNMU student; Brandon Chelette, WNMU student; Mike Carillo, Grant County Detention Center Administrator; Dylan Contreras, WNMU students; Sage Mays, WNMU student.

Silver City, NM - Western New Mexico University has partnered with the Grant County Detention Center, initiating several programs beginning with a Christmas gift project for the children of those incarcerated.

WNMU's Office of Communications and Mustang Entertainment, a university student programming group, reached out to Mike Carillo, Grant County Detention Center Administrator, to develop programming for students to participate in the community.

"There are segments of our community population that often get forgotten, and those include the families of those in jail," said Khari Bailey, WNMU student and chair of Mustang Entertainment. "So we thought a good first step was to bring some cheer to the kids of the incarcerated."

WNMU purchased and wrapped over 70 gifts with the help of Carillo who provided a list of children and their ages.

"The reaction was overwhelming," said Carillo about the moment he asked the inmates to provide the names of their children. "They didn't believe me at first but once they knew it was happening it was very emotional."

Carillo knows that family members of the incarcerated are often forgotten while at the same time are greatly impacted by their loved one's incarceration.

"The programs we offer remind our inmates that they have a life outside of jail," said Carillo. "They will one day be returning to their communities and start a new beginning, so they need to be equipped for their return."

Beginning in January, the WNMU Expressive Arts Department will provide on-site art instruction for inmates and later in the spring semester, an art exhibition is planned for the Miller Library.

"Our inmates have great talent and a point of view," said Carillo. "I have seen them make artwork out of ketchup from small packets, and items such as tin foil from the commissary."

Students in the Expressive Arts program will provide the art instruction once a week at the detention center. The current inmate population includes over 50 inmates, a majority of them being Hispanic males aged between 18 and 35 years old.

€œI come from a community in California where I personally know many who are behind bars, € said Bailey. €œI want to give back as much as I can and I'm happy that Western has the opportunity to be involved with this important project. €

During the spring semester, students will be writing letters of encouragement for every inmate.