Bus 52 Presents: Knitting Behind Bars
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- bus52.com/profi...
"Listen, if I can do it, then anyone can do it."
Every Thursday at five o'clock, you can find Lynn Zwerling and Sheila Rovelstad, needles in hand, providing encouragement and guidance to diligent pupils working on hats or sweaters.
As students and teachers settle into the quiet hum of the knitting circle, a cloud of relaxed calm falls across the group. Lynn and Sheila's knitting class is like many others across the country. Except theirs takes place in prison and their students are inmates.
At the Jessup Pre-Release Unit (JPRU) in Jessup, Maryland, the relationship between the inmates and the women is like family, and the bond between inmate and knitting is just as natural.
Knitting Behind Bars grew from Lynn and Sheila's passion for their chosen obsession.
Throughout a stressful career, Lynn found knitting to be much more than a hobby. "When I learned how to knit I saw that I'd think about it all day. I could get through most anything, any stress... because I knew I could go home and knit."
After retiring and starting a knitting group that counts over 500 members, she saw the calming effect and atmosphere of camaraderie that knitting gave its members.
If knitting could bring together people who have nothing in common but a love of knitting, what could it do for people who had never been exposed to knitting, ever?
So she decided to take her knitting behind bars.
Wardens concerned with safety and doubtful of the interest among inmates repeatedly turned Lynn away. After five years of pounding the pavement, Lynn finally got her chance. JPRU gave her the opportunity to prove that Knitting Behind Bars could contribute to the prison population's well being.
As participation, interest, and even a waiting list for the program grew, the prison began to recognize the value of KBB.
Just as Lynn had predicted, the men that attended the weekly, two-hour class immediately started to experience knitting's calming effects. An atmosphere of focus and normalcy effortlessly interrupted the monotony of daily life in prison.
"They come in, they're kind of worked up, they'll sit down and just calm right down."
There has been an additional benefit: the opportunity to practice social skills often cast aside behind bars. Lynn believes that knitting is an "opportunity to practice, to hone their social skills... there's no such thing as socializing in jail." The relationship Lynn and Sheila have developed with the knitters is almost like family.
With a broad smile, Ritchie Horton, a former inmate and member of the JPRU knitting circle, reflects that "it's kind of like they're moms coming in."
Sheila and Lynn understand the value of treating inmates as people.
"There is no 'them' and 'us'. I think as members of society we have to understand that this line doesn't exist." She believes that Knitting Behind Bars provides a transition from the world of prison to the world outside.
Outside of the prison's walls, Sheila runs a business dyeing yarn. At Wüllenstudio, she names each yarn's color scheme after a different rock song.
Recently, Sheila saw an opportunity to use her business to help grow the Knitting Behind Bars program by developing a yarn inspired by the inmates. She developed a competition online, asking for ideas for the new yarn's color scheme. Over fifty different yarn enthusiasts contributed their ideas for the special edition yarn appropriately named 'I Fought the Law, and the Law Won.'
Sheila wrote each submission on the blackboard at JPRU. She then asked the knitters to choose the color scheme they wanted. Shocked to be given a choice, the members of the group were initially overwhelmed by such a crucial decision. They unanimously selected blue, green and black -- blue for the sky, green for the grass, and black for the bars that keep them from the sky and the grass.
The wild success of Knitting Behind Bars shows that inspiration is waiting in the things we love. Lynn and Sheila's passion has been a positive presence for the inmate population of JPRU for the past two years.
Sheila and Lynn's energy and excitement is infectious. If they have their way (and chances are they will), Knitting Behind Bars will not only continue to flourish at JPRU, but will be the inspiration for similar programs across the country.
For more information on Knitting Behind Bars visit their website (knittingbehindbars.blogspot.com). Volunteers and those interested in donating to Knitting behind bars can put requests through their website. If you're interested in purchasing Sheila's yarn, 'I Fought the Law, and the Law Won,' you can visit her Etsy site (www.etsy.com/sh...)
I am a male whom just started to learn to knit. I knitted my first cowl and just yesterday I knitted my first hat on a loom. Yeah!!!!! I think this is a beautiful thing that you ladies are doing. Keep up the good work...
Antonio Edwards I am a male whom just started to learn to knit, too
I too am just starting to learn. I can cast on for knitting but I can't do the knit stitch . It's driving me nuts.
This is great. Prisons are full of people with potential and talent and we need to focus on that. I love that the men are willing to try it, good for them.
instablaster
@@phoenixjames6323 New word of the day ?
You guys are awesome to give these men a little hope that they can create something good while they are surrounded by bad.
This video is fabulous. I watched the whole thing and was very inspired by it. ♥
Its fun to watch tough men knitting with so much interest.. btw its a stress buster of sorts
For quite a long time in England Knitting was a men-only occupation by law. The reasons being were first,it ensured that men would always have a source of income for their families, and second, women clearly couldn't didn't have the patience and strength to sit for that long and work in that manner for that long . So you could let them know that and maybe they'd get a kick out of it.
Knitting is probably what keeps me from prison! Great stress relief.
That is beautiful what you guys are doing there. Teaching prisoners to knit as therapy. I think that is wonderful. They'd have a skill to last then a lifetime. They can make hats, like she said in the video, for others, especially those they hurt. That is really nice what you guys are doing there. I love it.
This is what I have done to reduce my increasing anxiety and panics attack and depressed mood during the lock down waiting for my flight back to my country after spending 4 months abroad
Knitting untangles the brain
💚💚💚
Amen to your comment. Knitting helps me problem solve, pray, and help me organize my first day off from work
this is fantastic and i must say knitting and crochet really does wipe away any negative thoughts plus you get something in the end. a fine healthy craft.
How can we donate to this program?
This is super cool. Seeing all these men knitting is so humbling.
Congratulations to all those men. They are the greatest knitters!!!...
From Bolivia.
South América.
Really inspiring to watch. I think prison has a certain negative stereotype to it and yes, that is why people look down on prisoners and pre-judge them. But there is more to prisoner's feelings and knitting is just the thing to make them feel calmer when all they can think about is how miserable prison life seems. Great video!
that's Flippin brilliant. I'm truly inspired by this. and good on the fellas for giving it a go and succeeding. you might tell the men that some of the best knitters in the world are men.
What wonderful generous women.
I can only imagine what they went through to get the DOC to allow those knitting needles into "the Cut" Jessup's nickname among inmates. Knitting at the "Cut" will wonders ever cease. 👍🏿
I love that you guys created this program. Anything that creates hope in a heart is absolutely extraordinary. Thank you.
I hope these women and the men are still knitting! I was on the website listverse and saw this video.
This give me hope for the world!❤
Good on the jail for putting on this programe!
Wow, great to see these guys knitting, and wonderful ladies to give them these skills, I knit and crochet, and you are right, it is a great pastime, best wishes to everyone.
Thank you Ladies for being awesome human beings.
This warms my heart. :')
Well done ladies :) Making them realize men like to knit.
Loved it keep good work up made me smile brings the good out
superhappygoluckybud 8
This is absolutely awesome!! I love this SO much!!! I just started knitting after 20 years of crocheting. I love crocheting too, but knitting is so relaxing, I absolutely love it. It's so therapeutic.
Nice program. I hope these men continue the skills, hopefully staying in a calmer disposition.
30 seconds in and I love you both so much!! You are way more badass then any of those behind bars 💖💖
Out of both knitting and crochet, I think crochet is easier. I suffer from PTSD, and that is what I do to calm myself
It's always one more row!
Amazing ladies hope it continues and gets around to more people
Wow!! Well done to you, it's a very positive wonderful thing you are doing to help these men 👏👏
What an absolutely wonderful idea and project, watching this makes me very happy...! You are a couple of amazing ladies! I am soooooo sharing this video on Facebook...
Wow that is such great news ..I have been knitting since I was nine years old..It’s something special about making something by hand yourself..And then using it yourself or giving it away to someone else to use..I hope this program stays in there.. other they continue to see how relaxing it can be to knit or crochet..you ladies are awesome 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 to start a program like this..💕💕
Que maravilla me encantaría aprender solo se hacer bufandas pero enseñar es maravilloso un abrazo desde colombia
They do such beautiful items
Wonderful
This is beautiful. Knitting and crocheting is very relaxing.
They're going to love it and is helpful and thanks God they all have a good behavior there and what adorableteacher, excellent students.
I loved this video!!!!!!!
this is so awesome !
Knitting is great therapy and your creating GOD BLESS
in the 1500s there were litteraly knitting circles form men that women weren't allowed to join. who says men don't want to knit?
Ladys...you re gorgeus!!!!You do great job for cominity wow.Deep respect for you really!❤❤❤
Great work,girls.
Fabulous.
I find this adorable
I’d be surprised if any inmate would refuse any sort of program considering the alternative is to stay in a small, confined cell
There is nothing wrong with men knitting - actually admire it
It's like worry-beads, soothing on the soul
Well its about time. Good job.
This is so beautiful.
Criminals, gang members etc. are humans too.
Lots of people forget it:)
My Husband Knits.he loves it?😊
Amazing women
Hey now I see ya get'em 😊
Beautiful
i guess im going to jai
Muito bom ,tricotando .o tempo passa e faz pensar o roubo.eoutros crimes não valem apena jamais!
that's great. How do you get the yarn?
Better knitting then doing evil crimes .
:)
,
Very dangerous dude
why don't they knit a handgun and hold up a liquor store