Of all the stories on the efforts of those who have helped one another rebuild from hurricanes, one might not expect prison inmates to fit in. Following Hurricane Harvey, however, 6,600 Texas inmates have chosen to donate their own money, to the amount of close to $54,000 to help those affected by the category 4 hurricane which hit the state in late August, Dallas News reported.
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Jason Clark, the spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said that inmates chose on their own to contribute to the Red Cross. They can donate as little as $1.00, and as much as they want, with some donating hundreds. The average donation is $8.00. The amount comes from their bi-weekly allowances, which is used for stationery, hygiene products, and food that the cafeteria does not serve. Their donations, however, do not count towards the $95.00 spending limit they have every two weeks.
According to Clark, donating the money was “just something they chose to do,” and that “they were requesting to donate money” as the way to help out after they inquired with prison officials.
Inmates have also helped in other ways, as Fox News detailed, by helping to repair damaged facilities hit by the storm. Nearly 7,000 inmates had to be evacuated.
Inmates aren’t exactly the first group people think of when it comes to those who donate to charity, but when it came time to help their fellow Texans, they stepped up to the plate. By donating what money they have, they’re showing just as much as anyone else how good humanity can be. These donations came despite previous circumstances and wrongdoings, and may hopefully even contribute to redemption for these men and women serving their time.