On Friday, November 27th, on the grounds of the courthouse, administration personnel of Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) organised a display of several attractive pieces of crochet in an effort to market the work of talented prisoners.
Many passersby dropped in to browse the impressive items, and they were inclined to purchase their choice of bathsuits, ladies’ shorts, hats, bags, shoes, and even coronavirus masks. Some persons also made arrangements for orders that would be filled shortly.
The Anguillian had the opportunity to speak, on site, with HMP’s Rehabilitation and Development Coordinator, Ms. Shariffa Wallace, who said: “A select number of inmates have been working diligently at creating crochet craft. These inmates are actually self-taught. A couple of them came into the prison with this particular skill and are now willing to teach it to others. It has been a case of each one teach one.”
She continued: “We are indeed amazed at how well the prisoners have picked up this talent, and we thought it would be quite fitting to have this exhibition. Through this display, we are able to expose their work. There are a lot of people in the prison who have hidden talents. It is good to have a marketable skill, and this is a great opportunity for the public to see what our prisoners are capable of”.
Ms. Wallace coordinates the Sentence Planning Team, a group of seven prison officials, which is tasked with the management of these and other projects that emanate from the inmates’ work. She said that, currently, they are about 15 motivated and enthusiastic inmates who are involved in creating valuable items made from crochet.
The Anguillian also had the privilege to speak with Mr. Alexis Connor, the inmate who spearheads the creation of the crochet craft. He stated: “It was some years ago that I started to make crochet belts and hats. Over the years I had lost interest in the craft, but I still had the skill. It was my niece who inspired me to make something for her, and since I resumed working with crochet, I have never stopped.”
He said he showed some of his fellow inmates how to work their hands at the skill. “Incidentally, he noted: “The person who taught me crochet, years ago, is now an inmate too. So we were able to work together.”
“Since January, I have started to take this trade very seriously.” Alexis said. “It keeps me very busy while I am here, and it keeps me occupied at nights. Sometimes I stay up all like 2 and 3’clock in the wee hours of the morning working on my projects. I am pushing my own logo as ‘Cro-Stylz’, even from in prison, and it is my hope that I would succeed and prosper in this field.”
Alexis added, “Sometimes I lose out if I can’t get the right colours of thread from the stores, but as long as I can get the right materials I can create designs in full sets of swimwear, hats, bags and shoes to match.”
According to Ms. Wallace, Friday’s exhibition and sale was the first of two for the year. The other exhibit will take place on a date closer to Christmas.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
