Female inmates at the Sanford Correctional Facility in Florida have been learning new skills which will hopefully help them get a green job once they leave the institution. In the meantime, these skills are being applied to help defray the costs associated with their incarceration. The facility started a highly successful sustainable hydroponic garden and fish farming program to help feed their population.
The inmates built everything in the greenhouse, other than the building itself. From building the rows of tables, to welding and installing the irrigation pipes, to harvesting the plants, the inmates have learned a range of skills including the care and maintenance of an environmentally friendly vegetable greenhouse and fish farm.
The tomatoes and lettuce grown are grown using environmentally friendly practices such as the use of predator insects as an alternative to pesticides, and low-water irrigation system in the indoor hydroponic facility. The program also includes the growing of edible flowers, in outdoor beds. The benefits of the program have been many. Non-violent incarcerates have a chance to learn new green skills which they can apply to getting a green job after their release, while giving them a positive break from the mainstream prison. Correctional officers have the chance to mentor and guide the inmates in a more tranquil setting than the rest of the institution, and taxpayers benefit from the savings associated with the lower costs of feeding the facility’s population.
The program also includes a eco-friendly fish farm, wherein the inmates help with everything from creating the nutrient-rich water from basic algae, to the harvesting and cleaning of the fish. While the latter is one of the least popular tasks, according to Detention Deputy Debra Taylor, “they’re right in there with me” (see http://www.ecofactory.com/community/green-tv/debra-taylor-guides-tour-detention-center-fish-farm-and-outdoor-garden ). Inmates are taught a range of eco-friendly practices to raise the fish from eggs to harvest. Started with 75 fish donated 3 years ago, the facility promotes natural fish growth by separating the fish at specific stages, into larger holding tanks. The institution also uses water reclamation and re-use by integrating the sump and watering systems between the fish facility and the tomato production system. In this way, the by-products from cleaning the fish filters are used as fertilizers or the tomatoes, and the water from the tomato irrigation is reclaimed into the fish tanks.
This is a great example of taxpayer dollars, coupled with the resourcefulness and creativity of correctional staff, to make a green difference in the lives of inmates. It is hoped that the skills they have learned through the program will lead to green jobs in the outside world.
