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| Utah Inmates Donate $1,300 for Victim Aid |
| By Salt Lake Tribune |
| Published: 10/01/2001 |
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Hundreds of state prisoners banded together and raised nearly $1,300 for those who perished in last week's terrorist attacks, officials reported. The inmates, who are all confined to a minimum-security wing of the Utah State Prison in Draper, paid the money out of their own pockets and have transferred the donations to the American Red Cross, according to Corrections spokesman Jack Ford. 'I'm a Vietnam veteran and a patriot of this country,' inmate Roy O'Connor, who helped organize the fund-raiser, said during a telephone interview. 'It may seem insignificant to some, but to us, it's what we can do at the moment.' Karina Saba, a victim's advocate with the Salt Lake City Police Department, called the inmate contributions 'a positive move.' Some of the felons -- who generally earn between 40 cents and $1 an hour working prison jobs -- gave away most of their paychecks for the cause. 'This good state is supporting me,' O'Connor said. 'For us, it was a small sacrifice compared to the lives lost.' In the institution's Lone Peak unit, which has the facility's largest collection of television sets, O'Conner said racial tensions and other hostilities seem to have subsided. In other parts of the prison, the inmates have been apparently unchanged by the mass killings that have shaken and subdued the nation and sparked a renewed patriotism. O'Connor said he would enjoy the sense of brotherhood that has blossomed at Lone Peak, though it may prove to be brief. 'There's a stronger, more unified sense of belonging that we're all -- no matter our race or ethnicity -- we're still part of the same country,' he said. 'Sure, in a few weeks, things will [pick up again]. But it's a nice feeling to see some of the tensions relaxed.' |
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Well, this is something very inspiring by the inmates, I like their act. I was actually searching for good online donation platforms and came across the content here. It was very interesting to read all in this post, I liked it.