The documentary The Quilters shares the story of men in a maximum-security prison who sew quilts for children. Their goal is to provide a birthday blanket for every foster child in the surrounding counties, and so far, they have sewn over 2,000 quilts for local nonprofits, charities, and foster children.
The men use all donated materials to create these works of art, five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The careful drawing out of grids and the methodical “cut, sew, iron” process of quilt making provide the men an escape from their present circumstances. It also incentivizes good behavior as it’s a privilege for them to be there; the men can’t have any write-ups or violations.
There are other restorative justice programs out there, such as training puppies to be guide dogs or raising feral cats, all with the common goal of giving the prisoners something meaningful to do with their time.
People are at their best when they have a purpose. Use your freedom to find one in your life.
Source: The Quilters Netflix Documentary, 33 minutes
