EOCI inmates work on holiday fund-raising projects
eastoregonian.com/community page/10-11-99
By PHIL HODGEN of the East Oregonian
PENDLETON - Anyone who has purchased a Christmas decoration or gift item fashioned by Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution inmates at the pre-sale for the annual Pendleton Christmas Cotillion in the last 15 years knows there is a subtle originality to each piece - no matter their similarity at first glance.
That individuality emanates from the creative minds of the artists, and a system that has proven to be the best approach to an unusual on-the-job training program.
"I'm the only journeyman carpenter in the shop," said Carpentry Shop Supervisor Joe Wise, the only supervisor 15 years worth of inmates in the program have known. "But, I'm not an artist. "The designs are in their heads, so I pair up the more inexperienced people with someone at a higher skill level and they progress that way."
Forty-three inmates are spending six or more hours a day on 25 holiday projects for the Cotillion and other fund raisers this year. According to Wise, only one of them, however, has ever arrived at the institution with carving and other woodworking skills - the first.
"He came in and has become a teacher for most of them," Wise said.
Like any prison program, participants must qualify under security guidelines. Even if they have a bent toward art and like working with wood they are still carefully screened by the assignment office and Wise himself.
"Although many who arrive here are gifted in the arts, they cannot have any history of escape attempts or disciplinary problems," Wise said. "We always have a lot of requests to work in the shop, but, of course there's not much turnover."
The carved horses that inmates are making for the 1999 Cotillion, similar to carousel equine, will eventually end up in dens or living rooms as show pieces.
"The carved horses definitely require a high skill level," Wise said. "But, the Cotillion projects have been particularly useful for us because they are mainly built by people of a lower skill level."
Inmates are not permitted to craft projects for themselves friends or family members. Their mission is to work strictly for the needs of the community.
"The agreement we have is that we work only on what is brought in," Wise said. "We don't handle any money here. Some very good folks from the community either purchase or donate materials for the projects. The Cotillion chairman and others involved are really helpful in getting materials for us, along with plans and other information on the projects they want. "It's been very enjoyable to work with them over the years, and very good for everyone who has worked in the shop."
Wise is too modest to spend much conversation concerning his contributions to the carpentry shop program, but he does admit it was his idea.
"I build it at the start, but it's kind of evolved over the years here and at other sites by word-of-mouth."
Considering what his efforts mean to the Cotillion, the American Cancer Society and other charities which benefits from the proceeds, it's come a long way since he welcomed that first experienced inmate into the fledgling program.