Last May, Kennadi Williams celebrated her 16th birthday at Topgolf, a driving range near her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her mom, Danielle, her 13-year-old brother, Kendall, and her friends were all there. But as Kennadi hit golf balls, she couldn’t help but think about one person who was missing: her dad.
“I wish he could have been there,” says Kennadi, a junior at Central High School. “He would have enjoyed it.”
Kennadi’s dad, Keith Williams, hasn’t been able to come to one of her birthday parties since she was 3 years old. He hasn’t been able to attend her high school cheerleading competitions, drop her off at school, or watch her brother, Kendall, play the saxophone in his middle school band. That’s because Kennadi and Kendall’s dad was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison in 2006 for being involved in a drug dealing operation and possessing a firearm.
Kennadi and Kendall are far from the only kids who’ve had to deal with the struggles of having a parent locked up. An estimated 2.7 million kids in the U.S. have an incarcerated parent. A large number of these parents, like Keith Williams, received long prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.
Last May, Kennadi Williams celebrated her 16th birthday. Her party took place at Topgolf, a driving range near her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her mom, Danielle, her 13-year-old brother, Kendall, and her friends were all there. But as Kennadi hit golf balls, she couldn’t help but think about one person who was missing: her dad.
“I wish he could have been there,” says Kennadi, a junior at Central High School. “He would have enjoyed it.”
Kennadi’s dad, Keith Williams, hasn’t been able to go to one of her birthday parties since she was 3 years old. He hasn’t been able to attend her high school cheerleading competitions or drop her off at school. And he hasn’t gotten the chance to watch her brother, Kendall, play the saxophone in his middle school band. That’s because Kennadi and Kendall’s dad was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison in 2006. This punishment was given to him for being involved in a drug dealing operation and possessing a firearm.
Kennadi and Kendall are far from the only kids who’ve had to deal with the struggles of having a parent locked up. An estimated 2.7 million kids in the U.S. have an incarcerated parent. A large number of these parents, like Keith Williams, received long prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenses.