Father and son reunited after dad's prison stint

Esteban Parra, The News Journal 4 p.m. EDT July 8, 2016

Likeany father and son, Coley Harris and 24-year-old Ahmarr Melton have hadtheir ups and downs.

For14 years, Harris was in prison serving a second-degree murder sentence, oftenwondering how his son was doing. During that time, Melton got used to notseeing his dad and dealing with disappointment and jealousy when hesaw other boys playing with theirs.

"Ididn't have a father in the household to show me how to be a man," saidMelton, who despite having male role models still felt a void at not being ableto have his dad take him to the movies or even just watch him takea nap.

"Ifelt it the most when I'd see my friends who had their fathers in their livesand see how they would interact," he said. "That's when it hit me themost .... I focused the most at blocking it out. I never knew when myfather was coming home."

Today,father and son share that experience through a dramatictherapy performance called "Out of the Ashes," which aimsto let others in that situation know they are not alone. The performance hasbeen welcomed in many communities, especially those in which a largepercentage of one or both parents are separated from their children because ofincarceration.

Morethan 2 million children in the United States have at least one parent in prisonand many more minors have experienced a father or mother in jail, according tothe National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, a federal resource forthose interested in supporting strong fathers and families.

TheDelaware Department of Correction does not track how many prisoners areparents, but it is believed that about half of the men incarcerated by thestate are fathers. A 2015 Conference on Women's Health and Justicereport claimed that 70 percent of women who have come in contact withthe justice system in Delaware are mothers.

That'swhy it is important for parents to be reunited with their children when theyare released, said Ashley Biden, executive director of the Delaware Centerfor Justice.

"Attachmentis one of the most critical developmental tasks for a child," Bidensaid in a statement. "Secure attachment is vital to a healthy future. Kidsalso learn social bonding and develop their sense of identity through theirrelationships with their parents.