People spending Christmas this year away from family members who are in prison will be receiving some much needed festive cheer.
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More than 30 volunteers gathered in Turner on Saturday to pack Christmas hampers for Prisoners Aid.
Volunteers helped to pack 25 hampers, which will be distributed to families of prisoners as well as newly-released prisoners in coming weeks.
The hamper drive, now in its third year, was the organisation's largest, with hundreds of items including tinned food, chocolates, mince pies and toys being donated.
Prisoners Aid president Hugh Smith said the idea for the hampers came about to bring relief to those separated from family over Christmas.
"For a family who has someone in jail, they're often short of money and can't really afford to have a big Christmas dinner," he said.
"It's a small way of helping."
The organisation spent the last month collecting items for the hampers, with donations coming from church groups as well as universities.
Dr Smith said while Prisoners Aid doesn't supply the hampers to people currently serving sentences in ACT prisons, he said they can make a large difference to those who have just been released and adjusting to civilian life.
"The hampers aren't about helping to feed people for a week, it's providing that little bit of luxury at Christmas time that they couldn't otherwise afford," he said.
"It gives a boost to what those families can manage for Christmas, especially for children in the family."
Among those helping to pack the Christmas hampers was ACT Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury.
This was the first time Mr Rattenbury had helped to put the hampers together, being invited by Prisoners Aid.
"For prisoners and their families it's tough, especially at this time of year, for someone to be away from the Christmas table," he said.
"The hampers will be able to lift their spirits and it's nice to help out a bit."
Mr Rattenbury said those in prison as well as prison staff working on Christmas Day would receive a touch of Christmas.
"Every year there is a Christmas-themed menu. There is that effort on Christmas Day, rather than just a regular day in jail," he said.
The most recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show there are 441 people in ACT's prison.
Dr Smith said the growth of the Christmas hamper program would see it return next year.
"It's continued to grow each year. When we first began we weren't sure it would work at all, but now we have every intention to keep it going," he said.
