(BOP) Inmates at the United States Penitentiary (USP) satellite camp in Marion, Illinois, are helping to provide bicycles to children in the community. The institution partners with a local not-for-profit organization that provides safety classes and free bikes to children.
Inmates inspect used bikes provided by the local organization, checking the safety of parts such as the brakes, chain, tires and steering. The inmates then make any needed repairs; each bicycle is essentially rebuilt by the time it leaves USP Marion. "This program gives the inmates vocational training that can be used upon release," said Aubray Bailey, the Executive Assistant and Camp Administrator at USP Marion. "It also gives the inmates an avenue to give back to the community while they are incarcerated."
Since 2010, inmates at the minimum security camp have refurbished over 3,000 bikes for local children.