Lynn Zwerling's knitting group for male prisoners opens up their world

Mothering the "bad boys," as the women jokingly call their knitters, and exposing them to new ideas and strategies for self-control, comes naturally to both of them. "We tell them: 'Bring your best self,' " Ms. Rovelstad says. "And we have been rarely disappointed."

Jessup's Knitting Behind Bars program is too recent to have had a quantifiable impact on the recidivism rates of its participants. Rovelstad and Zwerling have heard from about a dozen who are out in the world and doing well.

But the program's most measurable impact may be the changes in participants while they're still incarcerated, a degree of tranquility that spills over into the rest of the prison.

"It's a different atmosphere with them working with Knitting Behind Bars," says facility administrator Michele Jones, who runs Jessup today. "I guess it's more of a calmness." 

Assistant facility administrator Charles Cave agrees. "With the guys that are in this program, the level of communication is better than with any other guys in the facility," he says.

Harris, who is due to be released this winter, says he'll miss Zwerling and Rovelstad when he leaves Jessup. When he gets out, he says, he's planning to join their knitting group.

Harris hasn't told a soul on the outside that he's learned to knit. He imagines his friends and family when they find out, begging him to make things for them.

He's looking forward to telling them: "Let me show you how you can make your own."

• Sign up to receive a weekly selection of practical and inspiring Change Agent articles by clicking here.

Donate / get involved

UniversalGiving helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations worldwide. Projects are vetted by UniversalGiving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause.

UniversalGiving recommends:

• Sports Gift works to give hope to impoverished children through a variety of sports programs, including the collection and donation of sports equipment. Project: Knit scarfs, hats, shawls, and other items for people in need.

• Children of the Night helps victims of child prostitution in the US. Project: Provide food and shelter to victims of child prostitution.

• The Rainbow Vocational Training Center, run by Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities, provides disabled adults with job training to give them the skills they need to join the workforce. Project: Help fund the Rainbow Vocational Training Center.

Previous

1 | 2 | 3