Prison inmates often have a tough holiday season away from family.

But that hasn't stopped them from lining hoops of green and red paper, tinsel and Christmas decorations around their cells.

Inmates at a jail in Louisville, Kentucky, have their own Christmas tradition. For the past two decades, inmates have taken part in an annual Christmas decorating contest started by jail officials.

To learn more about the inmates taking part in the holiday event, Mashable worked with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that reports on criminal justice, to get video footage of the inmate's experiences and uncover their stories.

"There's so much gloom and doom in jail," said Ken Wright, the substance abuse program coordinator for the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, to Mashable. "The contest brings some togetherness and some joy."

Watch the video below for more on inmates spreading Christmas cheer.

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