Folsom – Christmas was brightened for 51 El Dorado County children, thanks to gifts of bicycles refurbished by Folsom prisoners.
The prisoners take donated bicycles and refurbish them. Bikes in bad condition are stripped for spare parts. The two prisoners assigned to the shop work seven hours a day, five days a week.
“Each bike takes between two and six hours of inmate labor to restore them to like-new condition,” said Jeff Rumsey, who oversees the project.
“They love it because they get to do something constructive for the kids,” said Rumsey. “When I interview, I look for the right combination of skill and attitude, but I hire on attitude because the skills can be taught.”
The Folsom project began in 1986 and have become a holiday tradition, although bikes are donated at other times of the year as well.
In mid-December volunteers arrived in a fleet of trucks to pick up the bicycles, which featured a variety of sizes and colors. On the last school day before the holidays, they were delivered to low-income kids at Camino Elementary School in Camino and Sierra Elementary School in Placerville. The Parent Teacher Association at each school donated bicycle helmets.
“We’ve had high school kids and Rotarians crying during the giveaways,” said Joe Ryan of the Cameron Park Rotary.
Over the last 25 years, Folsom Prison has refurbished more than 8,000 bikes.
The program involves prisoners, the Cameron Park Rotary Club, Ponderosa High School students, the Golden Spoke Bike Shop in Placerville, Jerry’s Paint and Supply in Folsom and the prison’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee
The San Quentin Fire Department operates a similar bicycle program.
