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JUDY WOODRUFF: When Jasson
Howell Sr. received a mandatory
10-year federal prison sentence

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for heroin distribution,
he shared that punishment
with his family.

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Two of his four children went
to live with his parents, Kim
and Dale Howell. The couple

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has worked tirelessly to raise
their grandchildren, while
staying connected to their son.

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Brief But Spectacular's
Steve Goldbloom visited
them in Portage,
Wisconsin, in late 2019.

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DALE HOWELL, Grandfather: My
son was always adventurous.
Jasson was a hard worker. He

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got with a group of guys
that were, for recreation,
snorting pain pills on
the weekends. Pretty

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soon, heroin was cheaper, and
that became his drug of choice.

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It was constantly not enough
money to pay for rent anymore,
not enough money to keep

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the water on. It was hard
enough to see it being our son
and his wife, but the children

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were the hardest of all.

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Some of the people that he
was with went into shooting up
heroin. Jasson picked it up for

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a group of people. One of the
kids shot up their girlfriend.
She O.D.ed, see didn't die,

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but she did O.D. And
he served -- he got
sentenced to a mandatory
federal prison sentence of

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10 years.

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When Jasson did get
incarcerated, our oldest
grandson was left alone
oftentimes to take

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care of his younger
siblings, which was probably
- - probably the hardest
time of my life. Their

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mother had overdosed and was
being taken to the hospital.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL, Grandmother:
We were planning on getting
all four the children. And when

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the courts decided to split them
up between grandparents, that
was a really hard situation.

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MARCUS HOWELL, 16 Years Old:
When I learned my dad was
going away, it was hard for all

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of us. The most challenging
part, I'd say, was just learning
how long he was going to

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be gone.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: We see Jasson
about three times a year. It's
about an eight-and-a-half-hour

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journey there.

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DALE HOWELL: It's a horrible
thing to experience.
And it wouldn't be so
bad if it was just Kim

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and I. But, usually, we have
got four little ones' hands
and taking them in as well. And

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they shouldn't have to
experience that either.

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MARCUS HOWELL: The hardest
part about seeing her dad is
just knowing he can't come home

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with us that day.

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JASSON HOWELL JR., 13 Years
Old: The best part about seeing
my dad is remembering, like,

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all the good times that we
have and that there's a lot
more good times to come.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: The most
difficult thing is not being
able to take my son home when

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we go and visit. He's
my firstborn, and he's
always been my buddy.

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DALE HOWELL: He's taken
different classes in there.
He's taken parenting classes.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: I have
seen a huge change in him.

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DALE HOWELL: He is learning
through this rehab program in
there to open up, to have to be

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accountable. He's had
to reach out and say
things to his children
that he probably wouldn't

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have on his own, make apologies.

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MARCUS HOWELL: My grandparents,
they have raised us for a
while, and I feel they have

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taken over the role as
parents, at least for now.

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DALE HOWELL: I used to feel
like, oh, we got our grandkids.
Don't feel that way anymore.

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We get to live with them.

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They have taught us so much.
That addiction that has affected
them, I still see it, and

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I wonder what they could have
been or what they would have
been or maybe what to only

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get to be because of what
they have gone through.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: Whenever the
phone rings, I look to see
if it says restricted on it,

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because then I know it's him.

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COMPUTER VOICE:
This call is from.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.,
Inmate: Jasson Howell.

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COMPUTER VOICE: An inmate
at a federal prison.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: Hello?

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: Hi, buddy.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: Glad I
made the call, because I
tried -- I tried making it.

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(LAUGHTER)

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: I know
you did, honey. I know you
did. So how did work go?

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: Work was OK.
We had a little holiday meal
today, so it was a little better

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than normal.

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JASSON HOWELL JR.: Hello?

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JASSON HOWELL SR.:
What's up buddy?

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JASSON HOWELL JR.: Nothing much.

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I'm looking forward to spending
time with my dad and just,
like, messing around and

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goofing around.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL:
OK, here's Marcus.

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The most exciting thing is,
when my son gets out, he will be
able to see his oldest, Marcus,

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graduate.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: It is
snowing out there at all, or no?

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MARCUS HOWELL: It was
this morning. It's slowed
down for a little bit.

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I just want to be able to do
things with him and see him
and not have any restrictions

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to that.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: We have
shared the sentence with our
son. It's been a long journey.

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DALE HOWELL: The joy that comes
to our hearts knowing he's
going to get out, it's also a

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mixed bag, because
that drug is tough one.

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You hear about people relapsing
all the time. We hope that he
will have this licked forever,

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but also, in the back of our
mind, Kim and I both still
kind of worry, do we have it?

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Do we get to stop worrying
now? Are things going to be OK
now? Is he telling the truth

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now?

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And I guess time will tell.

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My name is Dale Howell.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: My
name is Kimberly Howell.

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DALE HOWELL: And this
has been our Brief But
Spectacular take...

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KIMBERLY HOWELL:
... on our family.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: Well, I hope
you guys have a good day, buddy.
I just wanted to make sure

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I can call and touch base with
you guys. I love you a lot.

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MARCUS HOWELL: I love you, too.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: We
love you, too, buddy.
Have a great day, OK?

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COMPUTER VOICE: This call
is from a federal prison.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: Have a...

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: All right,
I'll talk to you later.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL:
OK, honey. Bye-bye.

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JASSON HOWELL SR.: OK. Bye.

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KIMBERLY HOWELL: Bye.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: What a story.

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And we have an update on this
piece. Dozens of inmates and
staff members at the federal

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correctional institution in
Milan, Michigan, where Jasson
Howell is serving time, have

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been infected with COVID-19.

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There have been at least five
deaths. Howell is expected
to be released this November,

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after completing a drug abuse
program. However, due to the
virus, he can no longer take the

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required classes.