We’re catching up on posting staff submissions that were put on hold when breaking news about the coronavirus hit last month. On March 30, Joanne McPheeters, a correctional case manager at Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino, sent us this article about the men at ICIO making masks for patients at State Hospital North.
This incentive program was started due to a request from our local craft shop. She emailed me asking if I could help her sew masks for local nursing homes.
We have a lot of men at ICIO who are always asking for ways to give back and help the communities, so I thought this would be a great opportunity for some of the men to give back.
I reached out to the public asking for fabric donations and was contacted by a nurse at State Hospital North who asked if we could sew masks for every patient and staff at their facility.
Due to mask shortages, State Hospital North is having a difficult time purchasing masks. They provided all the fabric needed for the masks.
So far we have had inmates from units cutting fabric and our laundry workers sewing and putting the masks together.
The inmates who volunteered have been very positive about helping and have communicated feeling grateful they can do something to help besides sit on their bunks.
There is currently enough fabric to make a mask for each State Hospital North staff and patient as well as many more for any other facility needing CDC compliant masks.