Community centered

    The intricately carved set of kings, queens, bishops, knights, rooks and pawns that sit on a marble-covered table is almost too pretty to play with. But the foyer at the new Barstow-Shipps Wing of the Midland Community Center provides a fitting showcase for a chess set that took nearly two years to create.
    The set was a gift of thanks for years of opportunity that the community center has given a group of men serving time at the Mid-Michigan Correctional Facility in St. Louis.
    They saved scraps from other projects and got to work crafting the set.
    The community center has a variety of goods from St. Louis. There are shelves and cubbies in daycare areas, display cases and the informational kiosk that sits in its front lobby.
    "They have a great program out there," said Dave Roth, maintenance crew leader at the center. "It works out great for everybody. It’s rehabilitating for them and all it costs us is the material."

    The inmate woodworking program is one in which many agencies, organizations and municipalities participate. They provide materials and the men provide quality workmanship. The walls and cabinets of many Habitat for Humanity homes are built on the prison’s site and welcome signs soon to be posted at the entrances of St. Louis were carved and painted there.
    The program serves a dual purpose, said Warden Paul Renico. It passes time and it teaches skills.
    Having just walked out the doors after release, finding a job can be difficult. The men have no address, just a six-digit number assigned by the prison system. But some have gained an education and skills. They can get a GED – a requirement before being allowed to enter a prison vocational program – and hands-on work experience.
    "All of these men are going home. We give the guy his time, and then he’s got to make it on his own," Renico said. "If he has employable skills, his success rate is extremely higher," Renico said.
    About 35 to 40 men participate in a series of classes ranging from beginning to advanced. The more experienced workers help teach the others.
    "It teaches more than just building trades, it teaches teamwork," said Ron Holley, the prison’s school principal.
    The state contributes little in terms of supplies. Wood scraps left over from clients’ projects that normally would be tossed out are often transformed into child’s toys.
    "We let them get creative," said Roger Slavik, building trades instructor at Mid-Michigan.
    The toys usually are donated to non-profits and auctioned as fund-raisers.
    Holley said the program also offers workers personal reward. "It’s a source of pride and they really value that," he said. "A lot of these guys, for the first time in their lives, are participating in something for the community. And they’ve done something for themselves."