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Southern Illinois prison gives inmates clothes upon release

vickens_dan
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Flickr/Creative Commons

VIENNA, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois prison has started a program to provide inmates who are being released with new clothes.  

The idea is to help inmates blend in once they're released, instead of being easily identifiable in prison-issued clothing. 

Darius Saddler will be released from Vienna Correctional Center April 7 after a five-year prison sentence related to drugs. Saddler has a polo shirt and khaki pants picked out. He says it'll make him feel part of society and give him a self-esteem boost, which he'll need to transition back into society. 

Roughly 20 men are released from the prison each week. 

Dylan Luce is an associate warden. He started the program a few weeks ago. It's called Vienna's Clothing Closet with over 500 donated clothing items.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.