Some of the doonas were presented to the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul on Friday in Bathurst.

This winter alone 1000 blankets made by prisoners have been delivered across the state under a NSW Government program to rehabilitate inmates, Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin said when the presentations were made.

Mr Martin said the Minister for Corrective Services, Phil Costa had advised him that more than 3500 doonas made by inmates have been sewn, packaged and delivered in the project, which started five years ago.

“Making the blankets is a real team effort, male inmates at Bathurst make the doona covers, which are then sent to Windsor complex for assembly and packaging by female inmates from Dillwynia centre,” Mr Martin said.

“From there the blankets are dispatched to Community Offender Services offices and welfare agencies across the state and then distributed to families in need.

“In Bathurst we know just how cold winters can get – I think inmates at Bathurst would be proud to know their efforts are keeping families across the state warm.

“Prisoners get a real boost out of knowing they’re helping someone in need. In the middle of winter, a blanket like this can provide a huge difference to someone sleeping rough or a family doing it tough.

“While, ultimately, we want to see people off the streets and with a roof over their head – for those times when this is not a reality these blankets will provide protection from the winter cold.”

The doona project was established in 2005 by Corrective Services NSW following the death of an inmate’s wife and three children who died in a house fire in June 2004.

The family perished in a fire caused by a faulty blow heater that had been left on overnight in their Sydney home.

The project aims to provide for families who suffer during the colder months from lack of warmth.