Cobb County program unites incarcerated mothers with their children for a day to reconnect

For most parents, hugging their children is something they might not think twice about, but for a group of mothers inside the Cobb County Jail, that physical connection is something they don't usually get.

For a few hours on Thursday, some of the usual barriers between the mothers and their children were removed, giving them a chance to connect as a family as part of Cobb County's Bond Beyond Bars: Mother's Edition.

CBS News Atlanta spoke to one mother who said she has not been able to hold her 6-year-old and 8-year-old in four months.

"I was nervous. I was shy. I was excited. I don't know, it was a crazy feeling," said the mother.

For a few hours, the jail looked different.

There were games, music, lunch, and back-to-school supplies.

Unlike a regular visit, these mothers could physically touch and hold their children.

Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said keeping bonds alive among families during incarceration is important.

"Sometimes when mothers are separated from their children, they lose that bond," Owens said. "We want to make sure they don't lose that bond. We want that child to know their mother always loved them, even though they're not there with them every day. That love is not missing or not broken."

For the 25-year-old mother CBS News Atlanta spoke with, that is the message she wants her children to leave with.

"I just feel like I'm gone for this little minute, but I want them to know that I'm still here. I'm still a great mom," she said.

The mothers also wrote letters of encouragement for their children, giving them something to take home as they begin the new school year.