A group of South Dakota inmates is raising money to help causes that support missing and murdered Indigenous women and Native health care programs. The endeavor lets inmates participate while they’re incarcerated.
Cody Hopkins has been an inmate at the South Dakota State Penitentiary since 2015. Hopkins says he wants to help programs he believes in, but his options are limited.
“There’s so many things in here that we are constantly looking at from the inside out,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins thought of a way he could contribute - through art. He's selling his work and donating the proceeds. Twelve inmates have joined him, purchasing supplies and beading identical pairs of vibrant red earrings.
"Everything that was invested into this project comes from out of our own pockets, the guys here in prison,” he said.
Other inmates are creating visual pieces to sell alongside the earrings.
“From there it just kind of went and it snowballed downhill. I thought of just 25 and then 50, 150 and then 200.”
Hopkins’ mother helped him connect with people to coordinate the sales. And when the pieces hit social media, it took off. They have a number of pre-orders for the art work and jewelry and the rest is expected to sell quickly during the upcoming Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City.
“I’m really blown away,” Hopkins said. "My mom will read some of the comments and just for those people to be so excited about them, and for them to just have that pride pays off everything. Speaking on behalf of the guys here-it’s something that’s very humbling.”
Proceeds for all of the pieces will total $5,000. Hopkins says half of that will go to the Red Ribbon Skirt Society for its work with missing and murdered Indigenous women. The other half is for the Urban Indian Health Center in Sioux Falls. Hopkins hopes to expand the project so other inmates can get involved.
“We will be contacting the other prisons here in South Dakota to maybe match us 200 pair or do something bigger-300 or whatever and raise funds for another cause, another event,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins says the public response from this event gives him hope for future artistic endeavors.