The Quilters - Netflix

I loved it. It is a shame arts and crafts are overlooked in education and in life in general as the effects on the inmates was clear.

I also enjoyed the health and safety aspect of the scissors etc

I’ve got some scissors from Winston Green Prison. Blunt ends and with a number engraved in them.

I just watched this too! Very touching. The men were so affected at the thank you card they received. Beautiful quilts!

I loved it too

I haven’t watched this yet. But thank you for the heads up. A few years ago we visited the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. It was awesome, as they say over there.
The quilts were absolutely stunning, both the modern designs and the traditional ones.

If you want to support the work of prisoners in the UK you can buy exquisite embroidery from Fine Cell Work. Really beautiful cushions and table linen. Good sales too.

I watched this - I was in awe of the fine work those men did, and all to be donated to children in foster care.

The quilts were glorious and it was lovely to see the pride the men have in their work. What I find difficult is that some of them had been imprisoned for 40 years. Is there no hope of rehabilitation? Whatever they may have done, if they haven’t changed, grown, learned in 40 years then surely their incarceration has failed? I know that prison is punishment for crime, but it seems utterly pointless if there is no chance of redemption.

Pity it’s on only on Netflix. Quite a few of would have liked to have seen I suspect.

Liked to have seen it I suspect

It was lovely and so moving, the quilts were absolutely knock out good, and it shows just how powerful redemptive work can be.

nahsma the US prison system isnt really based around redemption (neither can ours be if as overcrowded as they are) but it shows the value of this when it is allowed to happen.

Thanks you for the information Scottiegran999 so it can happen here too.

Yes some of the men were lifers and won't get out but one can only hope this can spread.

In bed with Covid & just about to watch it 😊

Scottiegran999

If you want to support the work of prisoners in the UK you can buy exquisite embroidery from Fine Cell Work. Really beautiful cushions and table linen. Good sales too.

Thanks for this. I need a new cushion, and am tempted. I'll have a better look later.

Just had a look at the cushions , they are beautiful and I would love to support the charity but they are way out of my price range . Some are £75 some £150!

The nice thing about the US prison one was that all the materials were donated by the public - lots of colourful scraps and threads arriving in bundles. If only there could be more schemes like that.

nahsma

The quilts were glorious and it was lovely to see the pride the men have in their work. What I find difficult is that some of them had been imprisoned for 40 years. Is there no hope of rehabilitation? Whatever they may have done, if they haven’t changed, grown, learned in 40 years then surely their incarceration has failed? I know that prison is punishment for crime, but it seems utterly pointless if there is no chance of redemption.

I seem to remember at the end of the documentary one of the men was leaving, he was either going to a lower category prison or being released. I will have a look to see if it said where he was going.

This work is seen as being so special that only a very few of the inmates are allowed to take part. One of the men, who had been deeply passionate about his work making the quilts, was found to have taken something from the workshop to his cell. This was strictly forbidden, so he was not allowed to be part of the team any more. My heart broke for him.
I saw on the closing credits that an inmate had passed away as they had an 'in memoriam' photo. Can't tell you if it was the same chap, was crying too hard to see properly.

That was very sad, the man only wanted to do extra work in his cell at night, they were on deadlines to meet children’s birthdays in some cases.

Unfortunately he took a razor out, if I recall correctly, but my memory might be wrong.