SC inmates give back this season with gifts through Operation: Spread the Joy

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Many long-term care residents across the state are receiving holiday gifts from local inmates.

It’s an effort known as Operation: Spread the Joy, and is a collaboration between the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) and the Department on Aging.

Over 1600 presents are hand-made and given out, including knitted caps, scarves, and Christmas cards.

According to the agencies, 19 out of 21 prisons across the state participate in the event with inmates spending months on the gifts.

Operation: Spread the Joy began in 2020.