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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

were the hardest of all.

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

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

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

10 years.

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

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

mother had overdosed and was
being taken to the hospital.

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

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

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

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

be gone.

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

journey there.

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

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

they shouldn't have to
experience that either.

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

with us that day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

have on his own, make apologies.

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

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

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

We get to live with them.

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

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

get to be because of what
they have gone through.

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

because then I know it's him.

COMPUTER VOICE:
This call is from.

JASSON HOWELL SR.,
Inmate: Jasson Howell.

COMPUTER VOICE: An inmate
at a federal prison.

JASSON HOWELL SR.: Hello?

KIMBERLY HOWELL: Hi, buddy.

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

(LAUGHTER)

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

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

than normal.

JASSON HOWELL JR.: Hello?

JASSON HOWELL SR.:
What's up buddy?

JASSON HOWELL JR.: Nothing much.

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

goofing around.

KIMBERLY HOWELL:
OK, here's Marcus.

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

graduate.

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

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

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

to that.

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

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

mixed bag, because
that drug is tough one.

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

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

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

now?

And I guess time will tell.

My name is Dale Howell.

KIMBERLY HOWELL: My
name is Kimberly Howell.

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

KIMBERLY HOWELL:
... on our family.

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

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

MARCUS HOWELL: I love you, too.

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

COMPUTER VOICE: This call
is from a federal prison.

KIMBERLY HOWELL: Have a...

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

KIMBERLY HOWELL:
OK, honey. Bye-bye.

JASSON HOWELL SR.: OK. Bye.

KIMBERLY HOWELL: Bye.

JUDY WOODRUFF: What a story.

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

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

been infected with COVID-19.

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

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

required classes.