AUSTIN — More than 6,600 inmates have donated $53,863 from their commissary funds to help victims of Hurricane Harvey. 
 
 Jason Clark, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman, said Tuesday that inmates, of their own volition, contributed to the American Red Cross. It may not seem like much amid the millions of dollars that have poured in from celebrities and everyday folks moved by the size of the storm's damage. But the money comes from the typically meager accounts that inmates use to purchase things like paper and pencils, personal hygiene items and food that isn't available in chow halls. The average donation was $8. 
 
 "It's just something they chose to do," Clark said. 
 
 Harvey hit close to home for thousands of inmates in Texas' sprawling criminal justice system. About 7,000 people from five prisons, three treatment centers and two halfway houses had to be evacuated, and hundreds of prison employees' homes were damaged or destroyed. 

 After Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas and Louisiana in late August, prison inmates in Texas reached out with a helping hand. 
 
 More than 6,600 incarcerated individuals in Texas dipped into their limited commissary funds to donate to the American Red Cross, pooling together more than $53,000 for Harvey relief efforts, WPXI in Pittsburgh reported today. 
 
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 The surprising number comes from a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson, and the funds were donated between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30. The 6,600 inmates gave an average of $8 per person. 
 
 That might not sound like much, but prisoners don't have access to their normal bank accounts or cash, which means the funds were all taken out of their commissary funds. Commissary funds are prison-specific money accounts that can be used to purchase small items from prison commissaries (things like cough drops, Oreos, and postage stamps). 
 
 Prisoners' commissary accounts are usually funded by friends, family members, or through wages made by working prison jobs. 
 
 Most of the damage that Hurricane Harvey caused was in the area around Houston, Texas, with 89 reported deaths and countless destroyed homes, cars, and more. The devastation sparked an outpouring of support around the world — apparently, even from prisons. 

 When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast 12 years ago, inmates in Texas prisons told their wardens that they wanted to help. 
 
 Specifically, they wanted to donate money to hurricane relief funds. So officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice developed a novel system: Inmates, they decided, could give away money saved in their commissary accounts; instead of spending their balances on snacks or sneakers, they would be allowed to give a few dollars to the American Red Cross. 
 
 Inmates ultimately cobbled together about $44,000 to help those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So when Hurricane Harvey spun into Texas in August, some longtime inmates who remembered the previous efforts insisted that officials restart the program. 
 
 This time, the fund-raising was even more successful. 
 
 In about one month, officials say, 6,663 inmates donated $53,863 for Hurricane Harvey relief — an astonishing sum considering many of the offenders typically have less than $5 in their accounts.
– As Americans open their wallets to help victims of a recent rash of tragedies—beginning with Hurricane Harvey—a big donation comes from a group that managed the feat despite not having wallets to open. The Dallas News last week reported that more than 6,600 Texas inmates donated $53,863 to Harvey relief efforts between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30. That averages to $8 per inmate, with each pulling the money from his or her commissary fund, which is the account used to buy everything from personal hygiene items to snacks. The New York Times calls it "an astonishing sum," as balances on many accounts sit below $5. Mashable reports the accounts can be funded through relatives or friends, or through the wages an inmate's prison job pays. The donation wasn't an unprecedented move: The Times reports Texas inmates wanted to do something in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the state Department of Criminal Justice came up with the commissary-donation route. About $44,000 was donated then.