OregonLive.com
MONROE, Wash. — Marvin Chapman pulls a tiny magenta-and plum-colored bicycle off a shelf and begins a careful inspection.
He laments the bike’s condition, judging the white nubby tires inadequate to zip a child around. Nearby, Richard Gillmere turns away from his own repairs on an adult’s mountain bike to assure Chapman they can fix up the little girl’s bike in time for Christmas.
Chapman and Gillmere are among a small crew of inmates at the Monroe Correctional Complex who volunteer their time and labor to repair stolen or abandoned bicycles collected by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Once repaired, the bikes are turned over to human-services groups, which distribute them to needy adults and children.
Full story: Washington prison inmates refurbish bikes for the needy