JESSUP, Md. — A father-daughter dance inside Maryland’s maximum-security Jessup Correctional Institution gave incarcerated fathers and their children a chance to create memories in a setting far different from a traditional prison visit.
For Ryan Samuel, the event offered something he said has been hard to hold onto during incarceration: a sense of normalcy.
“I’m really excited about this, actually a little overwhelmed,” Samuel told WBAL. “Just being able to see her, do what we do, some sense of normalcy.”
Samuel’s daughter, Eva, traveled from Virginia Beach with her uncle to attend the dance. Before entering the facility, the pair went through security screening like any other visitors. Eva, dressed up for the occasion in shoes with white bows, said she was eager to reunite with her father.
The event brought together incarcerated fathers and daughters of varying ages inside the prison gym, where participants traded prison uniforms for donated suits and ties. Unlike standard prison visits, which often limit physical contact, the dance allowed fathers and daughters to spend uninterrupted time together.
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn Scruggs said the event reflects the department’s focus on rehabilitation and reentry.
“This is not ‘Lock them up and throw away the key,’” Scruggs told WBAL. “This is, ‘Make them better than they were when they came.’”
To qualify for the dance, incarcerated fathers had to complete programs such as anger management and crisis de-escalation training. Participants also needed to remain free of serious disciplinary infractions for at least a year and minor infractions for six months.
Samuel, who is serving a 16-year sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree assault involving police, said incarceration forced him to take accountability for his actions.
“I liked to make a lot of excuses when I was first incarcerated,” he said. “‘This is why it happened,’ when the only excuse was (that) I wasn’t ready to be a member of society, and I needed this time.”
Samuel’s brother, Roger, said he has seen significant personal growth since his incarceration.
“He’s matured more in four years than his entire life, and that is what I want from a correctional system,” Roger Samuel told WBAL.
Jessup Correctional Institution Warden Damean Stewart said maintaining family connections remains important, regardless of incarceration status.
“Whether they are behind the wall or outside the wall, a father is a father — regardless of their situation,” Stewart told WBAL.
For Samuel, the dance served as both a milestone and motivation as he continues working toward release. He is currently pursuing a college degree through Bowie State University and maintains a 4.0 GPA.
“Even at the little moments when things are about to overwhelm, I have to remember what I have on the outside,” Samuel said. “I just want her to always know that she is my motivation.”
Maryland corrections officials said more than half of incarcerated individuals in the state will eventually return home, making family-focused programs an important part of rehabilitation and successful reentry efforts.
