Second chance - Charity pays fines for inmates

Food For the Poor's "act of kindness", which secured the release of 18 inmates from three adult correctional facilities last week, cost more than $500,000.

Food For the Poor paid the fines for the inmates who were serving time for petty offences at the Tamarind Farm, St Catherine, and Richmond Farm adult correctional centres because the inmates were unable to pay the fines themselves.

Food For the Poor performs this act of kindness every year during the Easter and Christmas seasons.

The organisation, through its executive director, Ryan Peralto, said the inmates, upon their release, will be trained and provided with tools "necessary to be reintroduced into the community as productive citizens.

"The reality is, all of us make mistakes and all of us deserve a second chance," said Peralto in a statement released yesterday, which pointed out that Food For the Poor got contributions from donors specifically for this project.