WRDCC hosts Missouri’s first ever father-daughter dance, sets precedent for maintaining familial relationships for the incarcerated

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Inside a correctional facility where visits are typically limited and contact restricted, something unprecedented took place this week: the first father-daughter dance ever hosted within a Missouri prison.

Six incarcerated fathers were reunited with their daughters for an evening of music, dancing, and connection at the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, an event organizers hope will strengthen family bonds and aid in rehabilitation.

"This is a big step into feeling like a dad on the outside again," said Tyson Alexander, one of the participating fathers. "It brings you back to what reality should be and what you're missing out on, plus what your priority should be."

Alexander described his relationship with his daughter as "unbelievably deep," noting that before his incarceration, they would spend time walking in creeks, camping, and practicing softball together.

For many families, a father-daughter dance is a simple school tradition.

But on Saturday, it was something much more, a rare chance to feel like a family again.

"This one has gone above and beyond," he said of the event. "This is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

The event was organized through a partnership between the Missouri Department of Corrections and Connections to Success, a nonprofit focused on re-entry services.

Participating fathers completed professional development and fatherhood training classes beforehand, while their daughters worked with counselors on the outside about navigating having an incarcerated parent.

Nathaniel Atkins, assistant warden at the facility and a 10-year veteran of the department, said the preparation was essential.

"This isn't just about the dance," Atkins explained. "This is about the men, their future, the daughters' future with their father, just laying that groundwork for them. This is incredibly reentry-focused, like getting these men back into society as better versions of themselves."

For the daughters, the evening offered something rare: uninterrupted time with their fathers.

Paisley Alexander, Tyson's daughter, said her favorite parts were "the dancing and the pictures."

When asked what it meant to dance with her father, the young girl's response was simple. "I'm just really grateful that I have to do this today."

For Jeremy Bowers, a father of two daughters, the event represented more than just an evening out.

"When you come to do visits, it's different than what this is," Bowers said. "It strengthens us, because ain't nobody telling us, 'Stop doing this, stop doing that.' So it's a blessing."

Bowers described the experience as "uplifting" and said it "got me ready to get home."

He emphasized the importance of maintaining connection with his children while incarcerated.

"They are my whole world," he said. "So that's what I live for."

Inmates had the opportunity to sign up, and when these fathers learned about the experience, they wanted to sign up right away.

The six fathers and eight daughters who participated were carefully screened for the event.

While only six families participated, Atkins emphasized the broader impact.

"It's only six, but if you can affect one and keep going from there, that's all that matters," he said. "We're going in the right direction, and this is just setting the groundwork for many more to come."

For the staff who made it happen, witnessing the event firsthand was powerful.

"A lot of times you don't get to see the success stories," Atkins said. "This is something successful that we can witness firsthand. Just the emotions and the drive for these men to want to do this, and seeing the smiles on the daughters' faces, it's very special, something I'll never forget. Honestly, something I didn't know that I'd ever see when I got into this career."

Both fathers interviewed expressed hope that the event would continue.

"This needs to be hosted a lot more," Bowers said. "Needs to be a mandatory class."

Alexander agreed, noting that participants hope to set a precedent for other facilities.

"I know we're the first in Missouri, and kind of the foundation of how this can go," he said. "This is something that should be, as long as they are okay with it, a yearly thing, if not more often."

For many of these kids, time with dad usually means a short visit, on one side of a table.

Instead they got to dance, take photos, and for a few hours, feel like any other family with their fathers.

As the evening wound down and daughters hugged their fathers goodbye, the impact was clear.

"On behalf of everybody who helped put this together, I appreciate it," Alexander said. "My daughter appreciates it. I know all the dads here do. You get a 10 out of 10. We couldn't have asked for a better evening."

Six families, a few hours together, and a night many say they'll never forget, inside a place where that happiness can be hard to find.

This event has set a precedent for Missouri's prisons to follow suit, and due to the massively positive reception from the dance, MDC believes it can be extended to other correctional centers in the future.