Definitely something I would like to know too. I'm in the same situation as you Aah except it was a teary phone call on our daughters birthday last week. To know there will be light at the end of it all would be amazing!

I can tell you holidays are always rough. My husband has been in for almost 3 years now. We deal with them a little bit better than at first but they still hurt. I always go and see my husband on his birthday and my birthday kind of our gift to each other. Our anniversary is 4 days from my birthday so we do not see each other on that day. We try to make the best we can of them. He always tries to call me too if he can.
As to life afterwards I can not help you there as my husband has a very long sentence.

A parole date within the year is something to look forward to (so long as we don't decide to agree with them and kill ourselves in the meantime)
And once out (whenever since it does not sound like you husband got "life without") life goes on and happiness happens in spite of "supervision"
And maybe some of our loved ones might "die on the registry" you and he can join others in breaking the silence, beginning the discussion surround the harms done to JSO's by the one size fits all injustices of the Adam Walsh Act. And in joining with WAR or RSOL or any of the other groups (listed under the "News" sections of Daily Strength (families of sex offenders) you add his and your own strength to helping the next generation of JSO's receive better justice than is available to any of us right now.
Even the people who work in the "justice system" (in NV at least) are beginning to question the Adam Walsh Act and hope to rescind/ or even repeal the draconian Adam Walsh Act which demonizes us all.

California RSOL concerned enough to put the article in the internet too.
Adam Walsh Act | CA RSOLcaliforniarsol.org/tag/adam-walsh-act... Bill would repeal Adam Walsh sex-offender act. ... After years of languishing in Nevada courts, ... Posted On 20 Feb, 2015 .

There is also a class action suit against the predatory prices and kick backs that prison charge for phone calls to family (I don't have a link for that but maybe someone here does?)
What I am suggesting the feelings of powerless ness lead to "what's the use? " attitudes that drag us all down no matter which side of the wall we "live on" so get involved in helping someone else JSO"S maybe?
Make things better for the next generation. Isn't that what we should all use our Power to accomplish (to protect those more vulnerable than ourselves?)
There is still work enough for all of us...in or out of prison if we can just somehow join the cause and manage to rise above That's the real way we can say we are "The better man" (or woman)

And joining the cause gives us also something else hopeful to talk about on visits and on the phone besides prison food and how down and depress we sometimes feel shut away from each other for so long.

My son has been home a year he just got off parole and now on probation he is 27 and he was in jail for 11 months. He is working full time as a cook and went back to school to finish getting his degree in microbiology. He still is Leary of people and all the nonsense of the rules he has to follow but he's getting there. There is hope just don't give up. I hope reading gives others hope that you can't let other people define who you are and who you want to be

I look at it this way, if you don't get responses, they are probably out living their life and are too busy to be here.

I wish I could answer your question on how you can encourage your father. I have a hard time with hubby....

There is always hope for something better ....

Just stick by him, love him. Make plans for when he is released. There is life after prison. You just have to hang in.