Albuquerque Public Schools
A Taste of Home and Hope for Students at Juvenile Detention Center
APS teachers and staff serve holiday meal, bringing a moment of normalcy and support to incarcerated youth.
Carols played softly in the background as the middle and high schoolers–their hands clutched behind their backs–filed into the cafeteria for their holiday meal.
“It’s a tough time of year to be here,” said Jerry Ullom, an APS life skills teacher who works with students incarcerated at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center. But Ullom and his colleagues at the APS school inside the detention center do their best to help their students through it.
On this day, that meant donning hairnets and serving them a traditional New Mexico holiday meal, complete with enchiladas, Spanish rice, beans, tortillas, chips and salsa, and even small holiday cookies made to look like snowflakes and gingerbread men. The meal was donated by Stronger Together, a support group for families with youth who are incarcerated.
Students sat down to eat at tables adorned with festive cardboard holiday trees.
One boy scooped his enchiladas onto his tortilla, turning it into a burrito. Another boy closed his eyes and crossed his arms for about a minute before taking his first bite.
For the 64 students confined within the concrete walls, the simple meal from Garcia’s Kitchen carried a meaning that went far beyond the food itself.
“They’re thinking about us, not just leaving us to do our time,” said one 18-year-old who has been at the facility since January. He said he’s grateful for the meal and looking forward to having a full stomach.
“Eating something close to my mom’s food will be nice,” he said.
The young man said that teachers and staff at the facility are supportive and have helped him get back on track academically. He said they have made learning interesting, and he hopes to complete his GED in the next few months.
“I want to be something. I want to have a career,” he said, adding that while he initially wanted to become a barber, a GED will give him options.
Another 18-year-old said he has been at the Juvenile Detention Center for 18 months.
“Coming here was the downside, but having APS here made it better,” he said, noting that his teachers worked with him and helped him earn his GED.
“I’m thankful they made it possible,” he said. “They’re supportive and always there. … They root us on.”
As for the holiday meal, he said it gives everyone at the facility something to look forward to.
“It means more than they know,” he said.
Inside the cafeteria, staff members connected with students, sharing smiles, conversation, and even fist bumps.
Ullom, the life skills teacher, said he loves his job and being at the facility to advocate for students. His message to the students he works with: Stay positive.