Inmates at the Lebanon Correctional Institution in Ohio are participating in a program called ‘Crafts with Conviction’, which allows them to create educational tools for students and teachers across Greater Cincinnati.

A Unique Program

The program, which is run out of the community service room at the correctional facility, gives inmates the opportunity to turn raw materials into useful items such as pencil cases and paintings.

‘Doing big things for little people,’ said inmate Derick, who is one of the participants in the program. ‘I just feel grounded that I’m helping the youth,’ added inmate Jermaine.

The program is not only beneficial for the students and teachers who receive the crafts, but also for the inmates themselves. ‘Be a better pillar out there in the community,’ said Jermaine. ‘Instead of tearing down your community, build it up.’ ‘Never too late to try to, you know, make it right, give back, turn it around,’ added Derick.

A Positive Impact

The program has had a positive impact on both the inmates and the community. ‘There is positive,’ said Community Service Coordinator Dee Sears. ‘It’s not all negative. And, you know, people can turn their lives around.’ The crafts created by the inmates are sent to the nonprofit ‘Crayons and Beyond’, which offers free school supplies to teachers year-round.

For educators like Kathy Donelan, owner of Aunt Kathy’s Child Care and Preschool in Newport, Kentucky, the program has become a valuable resource. ‘It saves the teachers time on cutting everything out,’ said Donelan. ‘And so you can spend more time with the children.’ The program has doubled production in the past year, shipping over 70,000 items to hundreds of school districts, preschools, and childcare centers — over $300,000 worth of school supplies.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.