Every member of the PRISON CALL DEALS team believes in that there is something good in every bad situation. Our fate gets stronger day by day as we discover some of the amazing stories about inmates that discovered true meaning in their lives and became a useful part of the society while serving their sentences.
You already know that we are firm believers that a positive attitude can be the crucial transforming point in every situation, no matter how difficult it is. A lot of organizations are driven by the same attitude. Please go ahead and go through the articles in our BUZZ section, as you will be amazed by a number of good will stories “behind bars.”
The story of the Brixton Prison in the UK is one of those great examples on how a little good will can do a lot in transforming lives. Brixton is now famous for its innovative social enterprise called the Bad Boys Bakery! The Bakery was the brainchild of a certain Gordon Ramsay, who set it up in 2012. The aim was to give people in prison the chance to gain work experience and generally do something positive with their time in prison.
Behind the scenes of Bad Boys Bakery
The Bad Boys Bakery gives people in prison the confidence and belief they need to make life-changing decisions when they’re released from prison. The aim is to reduce reoffending rates by training bakers on the inside, and helping them find work upon their release from prison. The Bakery also gives inmates the opportunity to give something back to society. Inside the Bad Boys’ Bakery, the Boys hand make delicious, high quality cakes, desserts and breads that you can buy in selected outlets.
We encourage you to go ahead and visit their website, but before you click on a products page, be sure the check the stories behind every baker! As they say, Bad Boys’ Bakery’s success is reliant on their committed and passionate team – with each of the Boys actively involved in making Bad Boys’ Bakery a success.
Another great story of transforming the lives of the inmates begun in late 2009, when Lynn Zwerling stood in front of 600 male prisoners at the Pre-Release Unit in Jessup, Maryland. “Who wants to knit?” she asked the crowd. They looked at her like she were crazy, but a year later more than 100 inmates learned how to knit, and dozens more were on the waiting list to take her weekly class.
This sixty seven year old woman retired in 2005, and had a lot of free time on her hands so she started a knitting group in her town. No one came to the first meeting, but the group quickly grew to 500 members. Her first thought was to bring knitting to a men’s prison, but she was turned down repeatedly. Wardens assumed that men wouldn’t be interested in a traditionally feminine hobby and worried about freely handing out knitting needles to prisoners who had been convicted of violent crimes.
But she never gave up; it took five years, but eventually her suggestion got accepted! Although the men were reluctant at first and complained that knitting was too girly or too difficult, Ywerling assured them men had indeed invented the craft, then gave them a five-minute knitting lesson she swears can teach anyone. At first, they knitted comfort dolls, which they gave to children removed from their homes because of domestic issues. Then they moved on to hats for kids at the inner-city elementary schools many of the prisoners attended.
The prison’s assistant warden, Margaret Chippendale, believes the men involved with KBB get into trouble less often. “It’s very positive because you can see when you go into the room, the dynamics of their conversation; very calm, very soothing,” Chippendale says. “It radiates even when they leave the room and go out into the institution”.
When there is a will, there is a way. Not always an easy one, but there is not a great story without great effort! If you have one that you like to share with us, feel free to write us your opinion in comments section and we will be more than glad to publish your story!
