Gardens
The Department of Corrections cultivates Restorative Justice Gardens in institutions throughout the state. Staff members work with offenders to grow produce for low-resource Missourians in need of fresh food, yielding as much as 100 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables for donation to Missouri food banks, shelters, senior centers, schools and other organizations.
Garden Updates
The pumpkin harvest is underway at at Northeast Correctional Center. So far this season NECC's Restorative Justice Garden has yielded 4,792 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for donation to food banks and other organizations. π π½πΆπ₯ pic.twitter.com/qHOvZ2dHZL
β Missouri Department of Corrections (@MoCorrections) September 30, 2019
Students in the professional gardening class at Northeast Correctional Center grew this fresh produce for a food pantry in Louisiana, Missouri. The facility has donated more than 450 pounds of fruits & vegetables so far this season to help #feedMORE Missourians. pic.twitter.com/fbr639abhP
β Missouri Department of Corrections (@MoCorrections) September 23, 2019
Working all summer to #feedMORE Missourians! In July, Boonville Correctional Center harvested more than 2,500 pounds of fresh produce grown by offenders in prison gardens. All donated to food pantries & senior centers in Boonville, Fayette, Glasgow, New Franklin & Prairie Home. pic.twitter.com/k2vGnbAEgx
β Missouri Department of Corrections (@MoCorrections) July 31, 2019
Watch this awesome video by @stlarchs to see how offenders grow in this Horticulture Specialist Apprenticeship Program with Amanzi Farms. Upon release, participants leave with multiple certifications, passion for hard work, & love for nurturing plants. https://ow.ly/KPbF30mF7Fe pic.twitter.com/Qzr3HJTzUO
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) November 19, 2018
Programs like this agriculture apprenticeship w/ @JobsMoGov & Amanzi Farms build the state's workforce. WIN for employers: Skilled labor. WIN for offenders' families: Stability & income. WIN for communities: Safer Missouri. Read: https://t.co/k4dgcut8vp #MissouriForward pic.twitter.com/jtbj9m5cY6
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) November 13, 2018
Western Missouri Correctional Center donated 400 pounds of pumpkins to the Caldwell County Health Department & Kingston School this week. In 2018, the prison has donated 29,621 pounds of produce grown in its Restorative Justice Garden to help #feedMORE Missourians. #WeServeMO pic.twitter.com/CG6yXjynki
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) November 1, 2018
Last week Boonville Correctional Center donated 51 pounds of fresh produce to @HarvestHouseInc & 221 pounds to @TheFoodBankMO. These tomatoes + squash, zucchini, peppers, radishes, purple beans, okra, watermelon & canteloupe were grown in the prison's Restorative Justice Gardens. pic.twitter.com/pa6qGPumIM
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) October 9, 2018
Check out the beans Boonville Correctional Center donated this week to the Fayette Food Pantry! Donations also included cabbage, zucchini, cauliflower, radishes, okra, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelons & turnip greens -- all grown in Restorative Justice Gardens. pic.twitter.com/1l7pd4RfYs
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) September 27, 2018
"After visiting with guys in the Restorative Justice Garden and seeing the recidivism statistics, I am convinced of the value of these types of programs... No matter the context, gardening is a tool that changes peopleβs lives." More at @columbiatribune https://t.co/qgeQ1rGIgZ pic.twitter.com/ggF6l8SPEV
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) September 19, 2018
"Gardening inside of prison can change the world outside of prison. The Restorative Justice Garden is making our world a safer & more positive one. All of us here on the outside should be thankful this program exists." @ColumbiaUrbanAg @columbiatribune https://t.co/eNWwwtBQnb pic.twitter.com/NEjBvjchHD
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) September 13, 2018
Thanks to the hard work of residents & staff, the Transition Center of St. Louis donated 27 pounds of homegrown fresh produce to @SVDP_STL to help #feedMORE Missourians. TCSTL provides housing & programming to men under community supervision. More : https://t.co/msl9AWkroQ pic.twitter.com/etYeAir9QG
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) September 5, 2018
Billy Polansky, @ColumbiaUrbanAg executive director, has launched a four-part series on our Restorative Justice Gardens. Read his impressions of Boonville Correctional Center offenders dedicated to improving the lives of fellow Missourians. #feedMORE https://t.co/LYD8qFAKpw pic.twitter.com/I0XuKkHALZ
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) August 30, 2018
Last week Boonville Correctional Center donated 1,454 pounds of fresh produce grown in Restorative Justice Gardens to the Fayette Food Pantry & @TheFoodBankMO to help #feedMORE Missourians. The bounty included watermelons and cantaloupes amid the vegetables. ππ pic.twitter.com/aqhKsHLhOX
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) August 27, 2018
Maryville Treatment Center case manager Doug Butcher says prison gardens yield not just fresh produce but also moving thank-you letters. When offenders "get something from a child that says, βThank you for the cantaloupe,β they get really emotional.β https://t.co/xEX9LL0UBu pic.twitter.com/o0rOylhIAi
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) August 7, 2018
The Restorative Justice Garden at Maryville Treatment Center helps to #feedMORE Missourians! So far this season, the offender-tended garden has yielded more than 400 pounds of fresh fruits & vegetables for the Ministry Center & the Children and Family Center. ππ πΆοΈππ₯ pic.twitter.com/f8CRFrX5Ul
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) August 1, 2018
Grateful to work with @JobsMoGov on this new horticultural apprenticeship! Our first graduating class of apprentices completes the 12-week program trained, certified & ready to go to work for employers in need of skilled labor. π π± Watch this video: https://t.co/baMW6SvQY9 pic.twitter.com/kpXjAMwxEx
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) July 23, 2018
Big thanks to @BvilleDailyNews for braving the heat to visit one of our Restorative Justice Gardens! Read this great piece to find out how gardening is changing lives. βIβm giving back to society for the first time,β Steven Vanvicklesays. #feedMORE https://ow.ly/BDRG30l1EK6 pic.twitter.com/bV2WSXtF6c
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) July 19, 2018
Last week Boonville Correctional Center donated 671 pounds of produce to a Fayette food pantry. The Restorative Justice Garden harvest included cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes. We're thrilled to help #FEEDmore Missourians! ππ₯π½π π₯ pic.twitter.com/bYx0xHjqrY
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) July 18, 2018
Check out @kfvsnews KFVS-TV's wonderful coverage of our Restorative Justice Gardens! "Being able to give back. That is what it all boils down to,β Bernard Rhymes Jr. says. "It's a good feeling." https://t.co/drK6eBqu8E pic.twitter.com/OsEm1YIwel
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) July 16, 2018This week Boonville Correctional Center donated 523 pounds of fresh produce to @TheFoodBankMO. Offenders and staff grew the potatoes, cabbage, greens, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, carrots & tomatoes in the facility's Restorative Justice Garden. pic.twitter.com/9TUzwZPJDS
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) July 5, 2018We're so excited to #feedMORE Missourians! Southeast Correctional Center just gave @semofoodbank 210 pounds of mustard greens grown in the facilityβs garden. In May 2018 Restorative Justice Gardening Program participants volunteered 596 hours & donated 400 pounds of produce. π₯ pic.twitter.com/M2FoGvMvi6
β MoCorrections (@MoCorrections) June 5, 2018It's gardening season in DOC facilities! Boonville Correctional Center has donated 60 pounds of fresh strawberries to BoonslickSenior Center. Each year Restorative Justice Gardens yield more than 130 TONS of produce for donation to the community. ππ #WeServeMo pic.twitter.com/qN8b7CkCvP
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) June 4, 2018
Gardening season is underway! The Restorative Justice garden & raised planters at WERDCC are ready to grow! In 2017 gardens in @MoCorrections facilities produced 133 tons of fresh vegetables & fruits for Missouri food banks, shelters and other organizations. pic.twitter.com/8GKj4Lwctd
β MoCorrections(@MoCorrections) May 31, 2018
Food Updates
Through a partnership among Southeast Correctional Center, La Croix Church in Cape Girardeu and Feed My Starving Children, 282 offenders and other volunteers have funded and packed 191,160 meals β enough to feed 523 hungry kids for a year.
twitter.com/MoCorrections/status/1239928741809225728
Did we say 150,000 meals? Make that 163,000! SECC offenders packed enough meals yesterday to feed 447 kids for a year! AFTER raising $11K to fund the @fmsc_orgproject. βFor most of us, this is what redemption looks like,β said Jonathan Leaks. @kfvsnews: https://t.co/unXzVrmVAx pic.twitter.com/jz8wDSCqIg
β Missouri Department of Corrections (@MoCorrections) April 18, 2019Right now 161 offender-volunteers, 15 volunteers & 40 staff members at Southeast Correctional Center are packing 150,000 meals for distribution to food-insecure families around the world through @fmsc_org. The event follows fundraisers that brought in $11,000 in donations. π pic.twitter.com/hagVt86DEh
β Missouri Department of Corrections (@MoCorrections) April 17, 2019