Jamaican Inmates in New York Donate to Hurricane Rehabilitation Effort

Jamaican inmates at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Upstate New York have donated US$1,107 towards the hurricane rehabilitation effort.
The money came from the commissary account, through which family and friends can deposit money for the inmates.
Consul General to New York, Geneive Brown-Metzger, who was on hand to accept the cheque recently, described as “an incredibly generous gesture,” the donation from the inmates, who are members of the Caribbean African Unity (CAU) organisation.
“This is an especially profound and appreciated gesture because of your circumstance,” she stated.
Mrs. Brown-Metzger called on the Jamaican community in the United States to remember those nationals who are incarcerated at this time, noting that the Consulate would continue to reach out and offer assistance where possible.
“I am encouraging each and every one of you to be strong and to know that you are not forgotten by the Jamaican Consulate,” she told the inmates at the medium security facility.
Consul General Brown-Metzger praised the prison administration represented at the handing over by Superintendent Raymond J. Cunningham, Staff Advisor Charles Davis and Jean King, for their leadership in allowing the inmates to “organise themselves and be able to raise funds from their limited means.”
In making the presentation, Vice President of CAU, Ricardo Richards, thanked his fellow inmates for their contribution to the effort.
Also on hand for the presentation ceremony were Deputy Consul General, Tracey Blackwood; and Social Worker, Carmeta A. Lindo, who is also Founder/Executive Director of Family Unification Resettlement Initiative, a NYC-based advocacy group, which helps to re-integrate deportees into the society.
Just under 10 per cent of the 900 inmate population at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility is Jamaican.