When fathers return home from prison, there’s still a long road ahead. The stigma of their criminal records can make it harder to get their footing and begin providing for themselves and their families again. Probation and parole conditions can complicate matters further – forcing dads to juggle the demands of their supervision conditions with their responsibilities as parents. They want to be free to show up for their kids. They also need to find housing, employment, and other fundamental building blocks of a stable life after years away. But too often, our supervision systems stand in the way.

For Father’s Day, we want fathers impacted by supervision to know that we’ve got their backs. That’s why it was such a great joy to bring together a group of about 70 people that included fathers, along with their spouses and kids, for a special luncheon hosted by Fat Joe and Jadakiss, at the popular New York City Sei Less restaurant. Many of these fathers were recently released from prison and are on parole or probation.

Fat Joe and Jadakiss celebrate at a special Father’s Day luncheon at Sei Less

At the event was Anthony Rivera, REFORM’s New York State Organizer and coordinator for the Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility. Rivera tapped into his statewide network to bring these families together for the experience. He is also a powerful example of successful reentry. After serving 13 years in prison, he was released on parole and was one of the Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility’s inaugural residents. Rivera worked hard to rebuild his life and after serving 2.5 years of his 5-year parole term, he benefited from the REFORM-backed Less is More Act, which allowed him to successfully complete supervision ahead of schedule and move forward with his life. Today, as a father himself, he dedicates his career to helping other men and women navigate the same path he once traveled.

Another father who was at the event is Anthony Calderon, who was released from prison just last month after serving six years inside and resides at Edgecombe himself. Between the demands of looking for jobs, navigating the bureaucracy of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Department of Housing and Urban Development, and doing the hard work of getting his feet back under him today was only the third time he was able to spend time with his 19-year-old daughter since his release.

Like Anthony Rivera, Calderon is working hard to stay on track, knowing that if he abides by his conditions and does well on parole, he’ll also benefit from a shorter supervision term. “I’m trying,” he said. “People say that ‘trying’ is another word for ‘failing.’ That’s a lie.”

REFORM’s New York State Organizer Anthony Rivera and his daughter Baylin meet rapper Jadakiss

We were honored to partner with Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Sei Less to create an opportunity for him and his daughter to enjoy “our special day.”

Throughout the afternoon, Fat Joe and Jadakiss connected with guests, listened to their stories, shared words of wisdom, took photos, and provided moments of levity and light for the group. Some of the fathers also shared the music they created with the two award-winning musicians.

Jadakiss said he was happy to, ​​“let [fathers] know that they can come back and get right due to whatever hardships they went through.”

Fat Joe, who was once incarcerated and on federal supervised release himself, told the fathers “Forget if you messed up the last 10, 20, 30 years. Start now to be a productive father and get your relationship with your kids.” He added, “On New Year’s, everyone wants to lose weight; I think Father’s Day should be an adjustment with you and your kids.”

Rappers Fat Joe and Jadakiss

Sei Less, which boasts an impressive list of celebrity clientele, is known for its community-mindedness and philanthropic spirit. Sei Less co-founder Dara Mirjahangiry said of the day, “Working with Fat Joe, Jadakiss and REFORM to celebrate these fathers at Sei Less was truly special. Ahead of Father’s Day, we really wanted to shine a light on these fathers who have been impacted by the criminal justice system and support their re-entry journey with compassion. It was a powerful way to bond through culture, community and cuisine.”