In the Prisons

DOC Facilities Grow Crops for Food Service and Local Food Banks

By Debbie Dobson, Washington Corrections Center and Laurie Ballew, McNeil Island Corrections Center

Many Department of Corrections facilities operate gardens to help supplement their Food Services Programs. Some facilities use the surplus food to donate to local food banks. Two facilities in particular had remarkable growing seasons in 2009.

Washington Corrections Center Donates to Food Services and Food Banks

In an effort to improve sustainability and reduce costs, Washington Corrections Center expanded the garden at the facility nearly double its size.

This year the facility grew about 12,000 pounds of food. Around 5,400 pounds of that food was used in the Food Service Program. Another 6,600 pounds was donated to local food banks.

Nineteen offenders work in the garden and say that they are proud of their work. They have each received a picture of the garden to attach to their resumes when they are released.

McNeil Island Finds Success with First Garden Attempt

McNeil Island Corrections Center broke ground on a garden in May 2009 using donations from Washington Corrections Center for Women’s Horticulture Program.

The Garden Project is operated by Lawns and Gardens Supervisor Scott Skaggs and an offender crew.

Skaggs jumped into the experimental project with very short notice and few resources. Fortunately, the experiment paid off and the garden quickly grew carrots, radishes, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, Swiss chard, scallions, pumpkins, eggplant, leaf lettuce and broccoli.

Andrew Kennedy and Brett Lindholm, both offenders at McNeil Island, show the results from the facility’s first garden program.
Andrew Kenney, left, and Brett Lindholm in the garden at McNeil Island

The garden produced more than 5,000 pounds of vegetables during the growing season which were used to supplement soups and salads in the Food Services unit.

The garden uses no chemicals, only grass clippings and water. In October, the Lawns & Garden crew participated in a series of soil workshops facilitated through the Sustainable Prisons Project, a partnership between the Evergreen State College and DOC. A graduate student at Evergreen came to the island to teach the Lawns & Garden crew about soil science and soil management, providing the crew with more training and knowledge to prepare for next year’s garden.

“I have been reading books to learn about plants and how they grow,” said Offender Abell who has worked on the grounds keeping crew for five years. “But to actually get your hands in the dirt and raise your own food is very rewarding.”

Offender Brett Lindholm said he loves working in the garden. He and the other offenders on the crew would like their families to be able to see what they have accomplished.

“I feel like I’m actually contributing,” said Lindholm.

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