Texas Inmates Donate $53,000 to Hurricane Harvey Relief

AUSTIN — More than 6,600 inmates have donated $53,863 from their commissary funds to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.Jason Clark, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman, said Tuesday that inmates, of their own volition, contributed to the American Red Cross. It may not seem like much amid the millions of dollars that have poured in from celebrities and everyday folks moved by the enormity of the storm's damage. But the money comes from the typically meager accounts that inmates use to purchase things like paper and pencils, personal hygiene items and food that isn't available in chow halls. The average donation was $8."It's just something they chose to do," Clark said.Harvey hit close to home for thousands of inmates in Texas' sprawling criminal justice system. About 7,000 people from five prisons, three treatment centers and two halfway houses had to be evacuated, and hundreds of prison employees' homes were damaged or destroyed.  Continue reading...