Prison garden

When I worked in the prison, our greatest achievement was the two or three seasons when we kept the garden. I was in my element! I collaborated with the teacher who taught everything. We started with English assignments where the guys wrote about foods they loved from childhood. After reading these essays, we made a list of vegetables we could plant. The students researched the vegetables to determine when and if we could plant them. This was part of their science work.
They calculated every aspect of gardening we could think of. They measured pH of the soil. They used organic elements to improve it. They measured the plot, planned out what would go where. They researched compatible plants and beneficial insects. We could not use any chemicals, so the whole endeaver had to be organic

And they started to dig. The Correctional Officers had to approve the garden, specificly; giving wards shovels. Shovels were scary at first. I remember seeing several guys out in the dirt who had been convicted of murder and assault, digging. 

Every day, during the prep, the guys working on our project came in after a day of work filthy, smiling and proud. The Correctional Officers were very surprised how well it all went. When it came time to sow the seeds, I taught how to manually plant seeds one at a time. Where rain was once an issue, now it was celebrated because of how it helped the garden. Many confessions were made on our knees, our hands dirty, our minds clear in the California sun. I listened and I learned. I taught them how to use drip irrigation, to save water and meet the needs of our diverse space. It was one of the best things I ever did. I am not naive enough to think our garden saved these boys. I don't really know. But in the space of that spring and summer, we were all different. There were less fights, more sharing. We worked together and ate very well. In that season, I saw how gardens heal people.