In a gesture rooted more in service than spotlight, inmates at Lovelock Correctional Center recently donated dozens of hand-crocheted items to two Pershing County organizations serving some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
More than 40 handmade blankets, hats, gloves, and dolls were created by members of the prison’s Crochet Club and donated to Pershing County Domestic Violence Intervention and the Pershing County Nursing Home.
The Crochet Club operates inside the prison’s Community Living Unit, or CLU, a peer-led housing environment focused on accountability, skill-building, and positive use of time. Using donated yarn, inmates learn the fundamentals of crochet and produce items intended solely for local use.
Pershing County Domestic Violence Intervention received a blanket, hats, and dolls, which will be provided to families seeking safety and support. The Pershing County Nursing Home received lap blankets and hats to help keep residents warm during the winter months.
“The Community Living Unit has been a great success since its start in late 2024,” said Lovelock Correctional Center Warden N. Breitenbach. “The Crochet Club is a prime example of a positive way for offenders to invest their time, learn a skill, and give back to the local community simply because it is the right thing to do.”
The CLU is designed to promote prosocial behavior through structured, peer-driven activities that emphasize responsibility and mutual respect. Programs like the Crochet Club align with the Nevada Department of Corrections' broader mission to support rehabilitation while maintaining public safety.
For participants, the work carries personal meaning as well as practical value.
“The Community Living Unit has given us an opportunity to be productive every day,” said Lewis, an inmate who facilitates the Crochet Club. “I enjoy teaching others the art of crochet, and it’s rewarding knowing our handmade creations will benefit local causes.”
NDOC Deputy Director of Programs E. Testwuide said the CLU model reflects a broader commitment to rehabilitation by offering offenders opportunities to develop skills, contribute positively, and maintain a connection to the communities to which they will eventually return.
Lovelock Correctional Center opened in 1997 and currently houses approximately 1,550 offenders.
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