Prison staff, inmates donate school supplies

Staff from Arizona State Prison Yuma spent Monday morning handing out backpacks, pencils, crayons and other school supplies to the children of Pecan Grove School.

These supplies were collected through the Arizona Department of Corrections statewide Pack to School supply drive. Prison workers - and inmates - donate classroom items to schools in need.

Pecan Grove was selected due to the school's poverty level, said Shannon Price, coordinator of Yuma's Pack to School event. One-hundred percent of the students there are eligible for free or reduced lunch, which is the determining factor of school poverty.

The inmates do not receive any benefits from donating, said Jerry Sterns, the prison's warden. The only perk they get is knowing they've done something to help.

"Everyone, when you talk about kids and being able to help children, they’re always ready and prepared to do that. It’s just a privilege for us to be able to assist them," Sterns said.

Price said local prison staff donated 1,602 items.

Yuma prison inmates donated 1,567 items and $492 toward the purchase of supplies.

"For some of them ... it's kind of therapeutic to be able to give back," Price said.

These items will be distributed to individual classrooms on the basis of need by Pecan Grove's student council.

Ed Richardson, co-principal of Pecan Grove, said they are just starting their student council program and this seemed like an opportunity to teach the children leadership skills.

"We talk to students a lot about a caring and safe environment and being responsible for one another, so it’ll be a nice way to filter that out throughout the school," Richardson said.

The program was created four years ago by Gov. Janet Napolitano's office. Department of Corrections personnel work with the Salvation Army to organize it throughout Arizona in communities surrounding the 10 state prisons.

A total of 37 schools throughout Arizona received donations this year, according to Price.

The drive took place June 18-Aug. 3.

Statewide, inmates donated $31,913.15 toward the purchase of school supplies. Staff and inmates donated a combined 59,578 items.

Rancho Viejo and Salida del Sol schools in the Crane Elementary School District received Pack to School supplies in Yuma last year. Price said they alternated back to Yuma Elementary School District 1 and will probably continue to rotate.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.