I heard about a talk happening at the Fine Cell Work offices in Victoria and I was intrigued. What can I say, I had been expecting basic cross stitch. When I walked in I was blown away by the quality and complexity of the stitch work and the colourful designs. It was very distracting listening to a talk while gazing at all the cushions thinking...that one would look good on my sofa, no wait, that one, or hmm maybe that one... All the sewing is done by inmates to help them pass the time while locked in their cell, focusing their energies and enabling them to gain confidence and learn a new skill. The inmates are paid for their work and you could see how seriously the work was taken and how proud they are of their finished pieces. It was heartwarming to see just how appreciated and beneficial the enterprise is.
I pinched these facts from their website:
• Fine Cell Work is now done in 26 prisons
• 80% of the stitchers are men
• In 2008, 403 fine cell workers earned a total of £61,890
• The inmates are taught by 50 volunteer instructors
• All classes have waiting lists
• In 2008 they had roughly 150 offers of volunteering
• In 2004-08 they had enquiries from 63 prisons which they did not have the resources to meet
“Fine Cell Work gives these men dignity in work and through this, dignity in life. When a man gains self-respect he may start addressing his offending behaviour”
Officer, HMP Wandsworth
“Our stitchers spend an average of 20 hours per week doing embroidery in their cells. The highest earners stitch for as long as 40 hours. It is a way of life that enables them to serve their time with dignity and purpose.” Fine Cell Works
A quilt put together by numerous inmates was exhibited by curator Sue Prichard at the quilting exhibition at the V&A (Quilts: 1700 - 2010); the design was based on the Panopticon design of Wandsworth Prison. Do please look at the variety of beautiful work on the Fine Cell Work website.
