Fathers at Auckland Prison bond with their children as part of parenting programme

A group of fathers at Auckland Prison were able to bond with their children as part of a parenting programme called Taonga mō ngā Tamariki. Photo / Katie Doyle, RNZ

By RNZ

Inmates at the country's toughest jail were treated to some Christmas cheer this weekend.

For a few hours a group of fathers inside Auckland Prison were able to bond with their children, making Christmas gifts and reading together.

The men decorated a room with balloons, tinsel, streamers and even a small Christmas tree in preparation for the day.

"My little baby son, he's two months old, and he's travelled a long way to come and see me today," one of the men said.

He smiled ear to ear while cradling the sleeping newborn, admitting it was the first time they had ever met.

"Right now, outside I feel really, really happy and excited but inside of me it's so emotional," he said.

"But I'm trying to hold it down so I can spend this moment with my son ...

"I don't have a long time to spend with him so I want to cherish every moment I have with him while he is here today to see me."

Children's Day was the final part of part of a parenting programme called Taonga mō ngā Tamariki, run by the Storytime Foundation.

The programme's name was a gift from the men at Ngāwhā Prison in Northland, where it has been running for some time.

It taught the men about how to build and retain positive relationships with their children through reading and game play.

Linda was the project manager for Taonga mō ngā Tamariki, and said the day was incredibly rewarding.

"I watched one young dad with two children, and the first thing his children did was went and got one of the maths games," she said.

"Dad was able to sit there and teach them how to play the game because he's actually learned it as part of our programme, so he was able to take the lead.

"And then he went straight to the book table and his children chose books and he's just sat down and read them three stories."

In the corner of the room was a small Christmas tree with presents for kids underneath.

One of the Corrections Officers at the unit, Ian Leyland, chipped in about $60 to make sure every child left with a gift.

"I feel Christmas is about children and it's always about a gift, and it's just a nice thought for them to receive something from their Dads."

Someone who also did not want to miss the fun was Iain Craig, who up until a few weeks ago, had been the unit's principal corrections officer.

"For them to be able to put into practice the skills that they've learned, and then see the outcomes of it is massively important," he said.

"They get such a buzz out of it because they're really trying and they want to make changes ..."