Doing toy time

Point Mac program turns prison into Santa's workshop

December 23, 2005

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

POINT MACKENZIE - The Marines landed at Point MacKenzie Correctional Farm Wednesday and liberated about 100 small wooden toys.

Inmates at Point MacKenzie this year volunteered to build about 1,000 simple wooden cars, trucks, puzzles and even some walking ducks for children this year, hoping to make their Christmas a little more merry, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Corrections.

The new program was dubbed &#8220Santa's Workshop,” according to Joe Schmidt, superintendent at Point MacKenzie.

Schmidt said he issued a challenge for inmates to build that many toys, and Officer Ned Entwisle accepted the challenge on behalf of inmates involved in hobbycraft.

Entwisle contacted Spenard Builders Supply, and the company donated scrap lumber from its truss plant. Entwisle picked up the scrap wood on his way to work, Schmidt said.

In November, they started building toys, turning out about 30 to 40 a day, making 100 for the Marines Toys for Tots program and the rest for the children's ward at Providence Alaska Medical Center and the new Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, according to the press release.

In past years, inmates at Point MacKenzie have sold craft items and donated the money to charities, but the Santa's Workshop program is going to remain in place.

&#8220We plan on this program staying active year-round,” Schmidt said. &#8220Some of our toys are destined for the local hospital, and will come with free lifetime replacement. If a toy is lost or broken it will be important that we have some in stock. We certainly don't want to encourage stealing, but if any of our toys come up ‘missing,' we will provide free replacements.”

&#8220It's rewarding to see inmates taking action to begin to repair some of the damage they've been convicted of doing,” Corrections Commissioner Marc Antrim stated in a press release. &#8220Inmates get no special treatment if they donate their time or money for charitable efforts. So that makes this kind of effort very impressive. A number of correctional officers also donated their time, and they deserve a thank you as well.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.