Originally Posted by QuiltswithConvicts

One thing you can count on in a prison is that no one wants to be responsible for something happening that affects the whole group. This quilting program is a premium job for this group. They are on Protective Custody for various reasons. That means they can't be mixed with the General Population of inmates, so they can't work in places like the kitchen, laundry, commissary & the like.

They know that if they were to do something stupid like try to steal a pair of scissors or harm me in any way, not only would the program be shut down, but EVERYONE in this housing unit would know who was responsible for causing all of them to loose their job. There aren't other premium jobs back there. Their lives would be miserable, if not in danger.

These guys are eager to make sure everything is accounted for every day. I choose who gets to be a Production leader. I usually ask for a group opinion of any inmate I am considering as everyone has to get along to be able to work together. These guys are actually very honest with me because of this. They will tell me things I might not know about an inmate - both good and bad. I appreciate their info. So far, I haven't had any sort of problem. I wil call for a tool check & everything has to be returned to the tool box. Nothing has ever gone missing.

I have always treated these guys with respect & they, in turn, respect me. This program is now 9 years old.

Originally Posted by auntiehenno

Bless you. The one gentleman with braid, I could never sit that far away from machine - but he certainly looks comfortable. 8-) What a postive and creative endeavor for them.