Inmates assist flood relief effort

CARBONDALE, IL (WSIU) - Inmates with the Illinois Department of Corrections are helping with the flood relief effort in southern Illinois.

Donald Gates is the Deputy Director in charge of the region’s prisons. He says inmates from half of the area’s 13 correctional centers are helping battle the flooding.

“At this time we’ve put about 414 offenders out in the field doing various duties of putting sandbags together, and stacking sandbags, and responding to the call,” Gates said.

Gates says so far inmates have bagged about half a million sandbags and contributed 30-thousand man-hours to the flood relief effort.

Gates says it’s honorable for the offenders to be able to come out and assist the communities in need. He says they feel good about helping.

Jeff Williams, WSIU

Posted in: flooding,Illinois Department of Corrections,WSIU