Prison garden programs are becoming more popular across the nation. These programs allow inmates to grow fruit, vegetables, and plants. They are used to rehabilitate inmates, providing them with a therapeutic effect and teaching them landscaping skills that they can use to get jobs. A participant of this program stated that it allowed him to receive a "sense of serenity in such a hostile environment."
This program has an economic benefit as well. For example, all 18 state prisons in Connecticut have garden programs, none of which cost taxpayers money. These Connecticut prisons have produced over 35,000 pounds of produce in the past three years, which saves taxpayers $20,000 a year since that produce is put into the prison system. The extra produce also benefits communities since it is donated to charities.
Furthermore, the return rate for former inmates who have gone through the garden program is significantly smaller than those who did not. To be qualified to participate in this program, prisoners must be eligible for release. Do you think it would be wise to open this program up to inmates who are not?
8 comments:
I believe that this is a good way to rehabilitate inmates who are not yet eligible for release. If they are denied certain privileges that other inmates have full access to, they might become bitter, which would only encourage them to act out instead of improving their behavior. However, it could prove to be dangerous to allow inmates who are not eligible for release access to this privilege, considering the fact that they could conceal weapons and other objects in the soil without the prison guards knowing. Although this is unlikely, we still need to take possibilities such as this into consideration before we decide who should be allowed access to such a privilege.
This program is sick(in the cool way) since the government doesn't spend their tax dollars on prisons which many people do not like since it can be put in other places like education. I think the program is fine as the way it is. And if prisoners that want to join the program that are not qualified, it should be up tot he people that run those prisons.
I believe that while this program will be extremely beneficial to those who are eligible for release, it may not be so helpful to those who are not, simply because being outdoors may lead them to loathe their punishments even more so. I think that if the prison guards wish to allow prisoners who are not yet eligible for release to work in the gardens, they should be able to distinguish which prisoners would be less harming to others.
I believe that this program is a good idea because it serves as an environmentally friendly way for inmates to spend their time. The fruits and vegetables produced could also be used by the prisons to serve to the prisoners and allow a healthier lifestyle. I do agree with Alex in that this could be a way that weapons are concealed, but I think that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages in this case. I have read scientific studies which state that the greenery can cause people to feel calmer and less anxious, and also that people have been shown to feel a sense of community when planting. Overall, I support this idea and I believe that it should be implemented in more prisons.
I really agree with that point, Patricia. Although this does provide these inmates with the opportunity to gain skills that would help them in the future when they are released, I think that the most important aspect of this program is that it offers these prisoners with the opportunity to "transform" and find some kind of light in their everyday struggles. Though I understand Jasmine's view, I think that this program actually does just the opposite.
I believe that introducing this program for those who are not eligible for release may even reap more benefits. Being able to channel their energies into something that is challenging, "serene," and productive can raise inmate morale and create a sense of purpose within prison. With this increased morale and purpose, prison violence may decrease. Also, by providing this program to inmates that are not eligible for release, these prisoners are given the time to gain more experience in a landscaping skill set and may have more success finding jobs after release.
I am a wholehearted advocate for this program in seeing as it is an efficient and therapeutic way to quell some taxpayer's concerns of having to pay too much towards the prison system.
There is no question that this program is a positive one as other commenters have pointed - it's one of many small scale, economically beneficial programs that follow the rehabilitation approach to criminals and felons rather than punishment - i.e. positive reinforcement rather than punishment as a way to reduce violent behavior and reintegrate prisoners into society. A growing number of psychologists and prison rights advocacy groups have denounced the current system that predominately favors harsh sentencing and cold, antisocial prisons that do nothing but isolate inmates from each other and just generally treat prisoners like animals in a factory farm, rather than human beings. Especially with the US's overburgeoning prison population partly as a result of the criminalization of recreational drug abuse, the US Department of Justice and state operated counterparts are facing significant pressure to change from both the short-comings of their current system and external advocacy groups. Only time will tell, but the general trend seems to be the decriminalization of lesser crimes and the treatment of criminals more in line with humanistic psychology rather than behavioral psychology.
Like everyone has stated before me, this seems like a great idea. The program providea a nice, therapeutic way for the inmates to spend their time. The fact that they are donating extra produce to charities makes this program even more beneficial to the people. I feel like it should up to the people running the prison to determine who is elegible for the program. If an inmate is not eligible for release there must be a reason that they aren't eligible. And if they arent able to join the program, maybe they can have a system where they can redeem themselves? If that makes sense.
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