Corrections Minister Yogi Huyghebaert says donations for Haiti from guards and prisoners show how everyone in the province cares about others in need. (CBC)

Inmates and guards in Saskatchewan's jails have donated a total of $7,000 to support relief efforts in Haiti, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in January.

It was not known which charity received the funds.

Yogi Huyghebaert, the provincial minister of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, said the donation reflects well on staff and inmates.

"It was not prompted in any way," Huyghebaert said Wednesday. "I know the corrections staff, they decided on their own. And maybe they had talked with the inmates or the inmates heard about it, but to me it's unprecedented."

Huyghebaert said inmates donated wages from work programs, as well as pooled savings that are sometimes used to buy things like television sets. Their portion of the donation was around $2,300.

When put in the context of the average daily pay for inmates — $1 to $16 — the amount represents a generous gift.

It was not known how many inmates or guards contributed.

However, Huyghebaert said the gesture is valuable nonetheless.

"What the inmates have done, " he said, "just show[s] the Saskatchewan spirit for people who are in trouble."