(CNN) Texas prison inmates are making cotton face masks that will be given to first responders for free to alleviate a shortage of medical materials during the coronavirus pandemic, state Sen. John Whitmire said.

Prisoners in a unit at Gatesville Correctional Facility, a women's prison located about 120 miles south of Dallas, have been producing the masks for about a week and will continue for at least the next week, he said. They expect to produce about 25,000 masks, Whitmire said.

The masks are made from locally grown cotton, rather than synthetic material, so they aren't of the highest standards, he said.

"They're not the one you would want in an emergency room, but it sure beats nothing," Whitmire said.

Texas state senator John Whitmire said prisoners are expected to make 25,000 facemasks by next week.

The prison labor effort comes as top health care officials say there is not enough stockpiled medical protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves to fulfill the anticipated need of nation's health care system as it deals with coronavirus.