Family rebuilds after father’s prison sentence
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In the United States, Jasson Howell Sr.’s 10-year federal prison sentence for heroin distribution deeply affected his four children and their upbringing.
The Howell family first spoke with PBS NewsHour in 2019, and the program revisited them to document the long-term impact of the separation and their efforts to reconnect. When Jasson Howell Sr. was incarcerated, his children were divided between their grandparents’ care, creating hardship for the family.
His son Marcus described learning about the length of his father’s sentence as particularly difficult. After his release from Milan Federal Correctional Institution in 2021, Howell Sr. spent time in a halfway house and on home confinement, securing employment and working to regain stability. The family acknowledges that rebuilding their relationships has been a gradual process.
Jasson Howell Jr. noted the challenge of adjusting expectations for what time with his father would be like after his release, while Marcus Howell expressed a desire for his father to remain clean and productive. Jasson Howell Sr. himself feels pressure to prove he can be a good father and worries about maintaining his sobriety once he completes probation. Despite lost time, the family expresses gratitude and support for one another.
Jasson Howell Sr. currently works with his son as an apprentice in the painters union and reports having the best relationship with his children that he ever has.
