A photo capturing criminal offenders shoveling snow in frigid temperatures in Cook County, Illinois, is inciting outrage.

According to The Chicago Tribune, on Monday, a photo showing the men in orange jumpsuits emerged on a Facebook page called La Villita Chicago. It appeared the men did not have winter gear on as they worked, and outrage quickly ensued. The post was shared nearly 15,000 times. 

The temperature is -11 degrees and rising to about a high of 14 by Friday. As the polar vortex wreaks havoc on the Windy City, concerned citizens criticized Cook County authorities. 

Sharlyn Grace, co-executive director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, spoke to the outlet about other uninhabitable conditions incarcerated people are enduring. Some are claiming cells are freezing due to the extreme weather. 

“Even when there’s not something exceptional like the heat going out, we regularly hear from people that they’re freezing in their cells,” Grace said. “So certainly the heating is something we’ve heard people struggling with before.”

The Chicago Community Bond Fund reposted the photo and brought even more attention to the matter on Twitter, but authorities claim the picture "misrepresented" them. 

Chief spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office Cara Smith told the Tribune the men seen in the viral photo are members of the RENEW program. Those in the program reportedly spend six months in custody and then eight months doing various community projects. 

“And we work very hard to get these young men jobs when they graduate from the program,” Smith told the paper. “I think our track record for caring about the people that are in custody is pretty solid, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

Although Smith credited the program with helping men, it is believed those in the program only make roughly $2 per hour for work. Many of those in the program are non-violent offenders. 

In a statement to NBC Chicago, Smith refuted claims about the jumpsuits. She said the group wore insulated clothing to protect against the cold. They were also supplied with gloves and hats.

The photo also neglected to show a warming van used to warm up the inmates, she added. After one group warms up, another group gets to enter the vehicle in alternating shifts.  

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