There is a room in a maximum-security prison in Missouri, USA, where men who have committed violent crimes design and sew beautiful personalised quilts for children in foster care.
As one of the quilters expressed it: 'A lot of these kids have been told they're never going to amount to anything. They'd never be any good. For them, this is my chance to give them something to say "Hey, we care about you!"'
The Quilters is the second documentary from independent filmmaker Jenifer McShane who is committed to using film to open minds. Her first documentary Mothers of Bedford revealed the impact of incarceration on jailed mothers and their children. To make the film she visited Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for four years.
Through the Restorative Justice Organization these men serving long sentences, or having no release date, attend the sewing room from 7.30 to 3.30, five days a week. Their good behaviour has earned the trust invested in them to take care of and always return at the end of their shift the sharp tools that they use. They learn skills with patience and attention to detail and have a chance to develop their creativity and be good and helpful to each other. The sewing room becomes a place of peace. They are always thinking of the children for whom they are doing the work.
