Incarcerated Individuals at Western Correctional Institution Create Holiday Cheer with Handcrafted Toys for Children in Need

December 11, 2025

Work Programs like WCI’s Toy Shop Have Helped Maryland’s First Year Recidivism Drop to Record Low

Cumberland, MD - As the holiday season of giving fills Maryland communities, incarcerated individuals at Western Correctional Institution (WCI) are once again spreading holiday cheer through a meaningful tradition: crafting handcrafted wooden toys for less fortunate children involved in local charities across the Cumberland, Maryland region. In doing so, the incarcerated individuals have also learned meaningful work skills that will help them stay on the right course when they reenter society.

“Programs such as this offer the public a powerful reminder of the positive contributions our incarcerated population can make from behind the wall,” said Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs. “Their willingness to give back, especially during a season focused on generosity and compassion, reflects the meaningful impact that restorative opportunities have in reducing recidivism and changing the trajectory of our incarcerated’s lives.”

This year, incarcerated individuals enrolled in WCI’s Toy Shop completed more than 300 wooden toys for local children, all handmade from raw pine with care and craftsmanship. Each toy is sanded for safety and left unpainted to encourage the creativity of the children who receive them. The toys produced this year include two rolling dinosaurs, a T-Rex that chomps as it rolls, a rolling brontosaurus whose head and tail bob up and down, along with two jewelry boxes shaped like a heart and a yin-yang that open to reveal a small storage space. Also crafted were a rolling biplane with a spinning propeller and a horse whose legs gallop as it rolls, all built with care to bring joy to boys and girls in need.

WCI’s Toy Shop will provide these toys to the Maryland State Police (MSP) in conjunction with LaVale Baptist Church, the Union Rescue Mission, and others, with all of the toys divided equally among each group. The woodworking program is overseen by cabinetry and carpentry instructor Mr. Brian Hopwood, who continues to guide the incarcerated participants as they build both creative projects and practical skills.

The evidence is clear that the incarcerated individuals take pride in their work, knowing their efforts directly support members of the community during the holidays. This program also provides a meaningful work opportunity, hands-on experience that strengthens craftsmanship, supports mental well-being, and builds job readiness and skills that assist with successful reentry, including for those with disabilities who are wheelchair-bound.

To this end, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) remains committed to advancing educational, vocational, and restorative justice programming that prepares individuals for reentry while fostering opportunities to support Maryland communities. Under the Moore Administration’s commitment to “leave no one behind,” initiatives like the WCI Toy Shop have helped reduce recidivism, as:

Maryland’s first-year recidivism rate has dropped to a record low of 13.7 percent; and Maryland’s three-year recidivism rate has dropped to pre-pandemic levels.

To continue this progress, DPSCS’s reentry unit begins planning six months prior to release, connecting individuals to community support, housing, employment, and services; and under the leadership of Governor Moore and Secretary Scruggs, DPSCS continues to expand partnerships that reduce barriers to work, housing, and stability.