Florida inmates create ‘Joey pouches’ for animals orphaned in Australia fires

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – As crews rush to rescue animals suffering in the wake of Australia’s deadly bush fires, inmates in Seminole County, Florida, are lending a helping hand.

Inmates at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, more than 16,000 miles from Australia, are spending time creating pouches for orphaned marsupials that no longer have their mother’s pouch for protection.

The pouches come from recycled material, the Sheriff’s Office tweeted Wednesday.

“This is material we would normally throw away because the uniforms were out of service,” Laura Bedard the prison’s chief of corrections said in a Sheriff’s Office video.

Some inmates have never had to use a sewing machine, so the project provides the opportunity to assist helpless animals and learn a new skill.

The inmates have sewn dozens of pouches and the staff is in the process of packing up the pouches and sending them to Australia.