Prison Inmates Learn to Quilt
By: Katie Kyros
Updated: December 11, 2012
CUMBERLAND, MD - Some surprising gifts are coming out of the Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland.
The men who are now making quilts say they've never touched a sewing machine before, but now they definitely have the time.
Inmate Henry Waller Jr. would've never thought he'd be sewing a quilt.
"I would have said no," says Waller. "I would have said something a little harsher that that, probably but no. And it's very few men that are quilting. But I've seen some magazines on quilting and there's a few men involved with it."
Then again, he'd never would have thought he'd be in prison. This time, Waller is incarcerated for a parole violation involving substance abuse. He'll be here until 2014.
Volunteer Connie Brantner is the woman who taught the inmates to sew.
"Working in the psychiatric field we had forensic clients that manipulated our patients and so I retired not really caring a whole lot about people in prison," says Brantner. "And these guys, there are some good guys here who have made some bad mistakes."
The quilts are going to the Family Crisis Resource Center to be given to victims of abuse.
The men who are now making quilts say they've never touched a sewing machine before, but now they definitely have the time.
Inmate Henry Waller Jr. would've never thought he'd be sewing a quilt.
"I would have said no," says Waller. "I would have said something a little harsher that that, probably but no. And it's very few men that are quilting. But I've seen some magazines on quilting and there's a few men involved with it."
Then again, he'd never would have thought he'd be in prison. This time, Waller is incarcerated for a parole violation involving substance abuse. He'll be here until 2014.
Volunteer Connie Brantner is the woman who taught the inmates to sew.
"Working in the psychiatric field we had forensic clients that manipulated our patients and so I retired not really caring a whole lot about people in prison," says Brantner. "And these guys, there are some good guys here who have made some bad mistakes."
The quilts are going to the Family Crisis Resource Center to be given to victims of abuse.
