‘We’re not all bad people’: Inmates giving back to community charities
By Sasha Lenninger
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SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Every year, inmates serving their sentences with the New Mexico Corrections Department raise money and give back to a charity of their choosing.
“We’re trying to change the perception of people that are coming out of prison, going home. We’re not all bad people,” said Jason Stalter, who is serving his sentence at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe.
He’s part of an inmate club. Several exist across prison facilities in New Mexico. They include religious groups, self-help, fitness, recovery groups, a gamers club, veterans club and a garden club.
These clubs give inmates a sense of purpose, humility and redemption, all while teaching them skills to reintegrate into society when they’re released.
“Our club is mainly focused on teaching a new skill to our fellow inmates,” said Antonio Cavasos, an inmate at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe.
He’s part of the club named Positive Pups. Members help train shelter dogs to become better companions, making them more adoptable.
“Definitely boost morale around here. It’s therapeutic to have the animals around. It helps our community and also helps everybody who’s in the program,” Cavasos said.
Every year, the clubs fundraise money through things like bake sales, arts and crafts sales and special events like talent shows or sports tournaments. The clubs will charge entry fees for events, as well as membership fees. Just last year, the NM Corrections Department opened its first store in Santa Fe called Old Gumby’s Country Store, a place where the public can purchase inmate-made crafts.
Money raised through those sales and events are then given to charities chosen by the clubs. Each year, the clubs nominate and vote on which causes they want to support. Then the charity is approved by a staff member. The cause of the charities chosen tend to align with the clubs’ missions.
“We’ve all made mistakes. We’re paying for our mistakes, but we also want to pay it forward to show people that we are human. We’ve made a mistake, and now we want to rejoin our community in a positive way,” Stalter said.
In 2024, inmates raised thousands of dollars for several charities.
Donations varied depending on the prison facility. Inmate clubs at the Penitentiary of New Mexico donated more than $5,000 to the community.
Close to $10,000 was raised by inmate clubs at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility and given to charities including the Ronald McDonald House of New Mexico and the Children’s Cancer Fund of New Mexico.
Inmates at the Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility raised enough money to pay off school lunch debt for local students.
The Garden Club at Western New Mexico Correctional Facility grows produce and donates it to a local food bank and women’s shelter.
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