World News
Prison ministry brings rewards, including king-size quilt from convict
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. (CNS) -- Convicts and quilting. If you think that's an impossible combination, you haven't yet heard about a program at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle. Steve Barron can tell you all about it. He's a retired Vanderburgh County probation officer who now offers spiritual direction to prisoners in the PLUS program at the prison. That, of course, is another unlikely connection. Barron recently received a gift that brought tears to his eyes -- a king-size quilt made by one of the prisoners. It has more than 3,700 pieces of fabric sewn together to make the quilt top. The top, the batting and the backing are tacked together. It took three weeks of work to produce, and special permission for the inmate to give the quilt to Barron. No state funds are provided for the convicts who are quilting. They use the money they earn in prison, and they accept donations to buy material. They have donated quilts to be used in homeless shelters and for families who have had a son or a daughter die in military service. They will make a quilt for any nonprofit organization that asks for one. Barron said the quilt he received was made "in appreciation of my giving my time to work with him and the other guys." PLUS stands for Purposeful Living Units Serve. Participating in it helps prisoners "to come to terms with what they have done, and the impact that it has had," Barron said.
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