The Rehabilitative Power of Crafting: A Look at Knitting Behind Bars
I started knitting in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had exhausted much of the Netflix streaming library and had not much else to do to occupy my time staying at home. One day, a package arrived in the mail; my mom had ordered me a knitting starter kit, consisting of a ball of yarn, needles, and an instructional book. I was hesitant at first, but boredom eventually pushed me to sit down on my couch and learn how to knit. I have knit almost every day since then, becoming like a form of meditation.
Many knitters who I know personally or with whom I have interacted online say that knitting is therapeutic. It’s what Lynn Zwerling, the founder of Knitting Behind Bars, calls “the Zen of knitting”.
Knitting Behind Bars is a crafting program that began in Maryland for incarcerated individuals where they can learn to knit and make items to give back to the community. For Zwerling, Knitting Behind Bars is not only a program that teaches a craft but one that teaches life and job skills like focus and anger management. The program, Zwerling states in an interview with the Washington Post, also provides an opportunity for inmates to socialize in a safe and supportive space, which is something that the prison environment typically lacks.
Knitting Behind Bars is particularly impactful in the ways it promotes healing among participants and helps others in the community who are experiencing trauma. One of the program’s first projects was for participants to knit and sew “comfort dolls” which were donated to Baltimore County’s domestic violence first responders to give to children they might encounter when answering a call. Zwerling states in an interview with NPR that this project had a particularly profound effect on inmates who had experienced domestic violence or abuse in the past. In a way, helping others navigate their trauma allowed inmates to recognize and address their own.
Now, inmates give most of their projects to children in need in the Baltimore area, fostering empathy among inmates for those in their communities. This practice of empathy is particularly important in the correctional setting, where a lack of empathy is often a major contributor to criminal behavior.
Looking at Knitting Behind Bars has made me realize that something as simple as knitting can have a profound impact in the criminal justice field. Knitting and other crafts can be used not only for individualized self-care but also as a tool for rehabilitation and healing. This sets the stage for the development of new, innovative programs in corrections and beyond.
References
Martin, M. (2012, January 9). Knitting Behind Bars, learning focus and patience. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2012/01/09/144904615/knitting-behind-bars-learning-focus-and-patience
Livingston, Michael II. (2014, April 25). At prison, a class that isn’t necessarily about knitting. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2014/04/24/a814362a-ae0e-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html