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‘Tis the season, and while many of us might be putting up trees and decorations, planning family dinners and holiday parties, and buying gifts for loved ones, there’s one population in the U.S. for whom the holidays may not be filled with joy: the millions of people impacted by family separation because their loved ones are incarcerated. 

Dortell Williams, an incarcerated father and grandfather at Mule Creek State Prison in California, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He has spent more than three decades behind bars. Williams is a special correspondent for èßäÉçÇø! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali and spoke with the program’s host and èßäÉçÇø! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar about the impact of family separation and how to mitigate it.