The Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority is offering a program to a group of female detainees that is transforming their time behind bars into an opportunity to help others in need. Through a unique crocheting program, the women have been crafting blankets and donating them to the Anne Moroney Youth Services, experiencing an unexpected source of joy and healing along the way.

The program, which began earlier this year, was introduced to engage the detainees in a positive and productive activity. Each week, these women gather to crochet, learning the craft from volunteers while creating warm, colorful blankets for the children. These handmade items are then donated, providing comfort to the children being served by the Anne Moroney Youth Services, which has been a great benefit to the children, especially as winter months are approaching. A special thanks to Dr. Sherrie Carter-Green, Executive Director/ Clinical Coordinator for Okmulgee- Okfuskee County Youth Services, and Mrs. Cindy Lane, Assistant to the Executive Director, for receiving these donations.

For many of the women involved, the act of giving back has had a profound impact.

One detainee said, “As this is my first time in jail, this program helped me to cope with being incarcerated. I have grandbabies now and when I get out, I’ll have a way of giving something to them without having to turn to something. It’s a good program, it gives you patience and it brings us all together where we are not fighting or arguing.” Staff at the facility have noticed significant improvements in the detainees’ behavior since the program began. They’re more engaged and more respectful of each other, and there’s a noticeable decline in disciplinary issues. The program is helping not just their hands, but their minds too.

A detainee said, “I have taken a lot of things in my life, and I was able to give back this time. This also helped me with my anxiety and trouble issues. I was able to focus on what I was doing instead of being problematic. I was able to focus on who I was doing it for, even though I didn’t know who it was going to, and see that I was giving instead of taking.”

OCCJA employee, Shelia Power Psychiatric Mental Health NP, states, “Mental health experts agree that activities like crocheting can have therapeutic effects, especially for those in high-stress environments. The repetitive motions of crocheting, combined with the sense of accomplishment from completing a project, have been shown to reduce anxiety, improve focus, and elevate mood. For the detainees, the added benefit of helping others only enhances these effects.”

Looking ahead, the detainees are hopeful that the program will continue.

Another detainee mentioned, “For me, this was something I was able to learn in hopes of teaching someone else to give them something to look forward to when they get out of here. We get to make things for people who don’t have these things, and because of this, they get to have something new that is theirs. That’s what this is all about, it’s about giving back to them.”

The success of the initiative has sparked conversations about expanding the program, possibly incorporating other types of crafts, or extending the donation efforts to different organizations in the community. For now, the women are content with the knowledge that their work is making a difference, both inside the jail and out on the streets. Materials have been provided by the detainees’ family members, as they too see a great benefit to this program that their loved ones can partake in.

As the detainees stitch together blankets, they are also stitching together newfound hope—for themselves, and for those who will benefit from their creations.

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