Inmates excited about Spiritual Life Center they made possible

Last Update: 8/07/2009 6:31 pm

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Inmates excited about Spiritual Life Center they made possible

EL DORADO, Kansas – Prisoners don’t have very much at all to be excited about, but that’s not the case these days at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. After years of construction, a state-of-the-art Inmate Spiritual Life Center, constructed primarily by prisoners, is just about four months from completion.

Along for the progress tour Friday were inmates Ormond Wimberly and Jack Spears. Both have been in for 22 years on first-degree murder charges and both say they have relied heavily on religion behind bars. They believe the new Spiritual Life Center will greatly enrich their faith.

"For so many years here in this facility, we've had to worship in an empty classroom, or in the inmate visiting room,” said Spears. “So having a church to worship in will open our hearts up."

The church was constructed thanks to inmate labor. But they’ve helped in other ways as well. Ormond Wimberly heads a prison charity.

"Every dollar we make we give to the Spiritual Life Center as a source of on-going revenue for them,” Wimberly said. “We gave the first $500 of seed money to start the Spiritual Life Center."

Other inmates haves sent in job money.

"I do get donations from all areas,” said Lynn McBride, director of Kansas Prison Ministry. “Lansing and Hutchinson inmates send money as well as locally, inmates send money."

In all, close to $900,000 private dollars have been raised for the 12,000 square-foot facility, which also teaches life skills. But none of it would be possible without the inmate labor. It’s estimated their work has saved $1 million dollars.

"Now they're invested in something,” Wimberly said. “Most guys did not invest in their community on the street. They didn't belong."

And so now, after all these many, many months, The Spiritual Life Center will likely be finished in just four months -- right around Christmastime. It’s a gift for the correctional facility, especially the inmates, who will always know they made this place possible.

About $50,000 more is needed to complete the center. For more information on how you can help, click on Newslinks.

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