Plants to go to Jail

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My husband works as a corrections officer at one of the state 
prisons. He's been trying to get a gardening project going there for 
years for the inmates and it's finally materializing. He's got a 
token budget as of July 1 and was actually OK'd for an extra shift 
this Friday to start making more beds and gardening. 
The prison is a low security prison. Lot of first time drug and 
alchohol offenders. No hardcore nasty folks. Largely white collar 
crimes or young people that had a brain cramp. 

It's supposed to be a program prison but there isn't much for the 
female inmates there. There is woodworking, autoshop and the women 
get to wash, mend and alter the clothing for guards and inmates. Not 
much of a behavior incentive if you ask me. Yes men will be welcome 
in this too but we are starting it out with the women largely because 
they are more careful and really need something other than being 
allowed to do laundry if they are good. 

It's been a rough 3 years getting this thing off the ground. Have had 
to endure stupid things like the manure will burn down buildings and 
the inmates will make bombs with the manure. Yet the same man who 
swears they will make bombs with it will hand them a 5 gallon can of 
gas to fill the lawn mower. 

The prison grounds are huge. It was a farm ages ago and before it was 
a prison it was the old state school for the mentally handicapped. 
This particular piece of property actually has the potential to feed 
and offset the costs of feeding most of the states institutionalized 
people, jails, mental institutions, old age homes. It is a vast 
wonderful bit of property that the state is seriously missing the 
boat on. 
Change comes slow and hard here in the north. Figured if we start 
with the ornamentals a bit first More of the touring politicians will 
notice. A blooming Iris or any other flower has much more presence 
than a cabbage. 

Then there is the positive benefits that these people will get from 
actually nurturing something. Can't be emphasized enough really. Not 
a lot of nuture type feelings fixing the split seam on a fat CO's 
pants. Making a flower grow on the other hand is going to be a lot 
more positive and help with things that a lot of these people missed 
out on. 

The budget we are getting isn't much, $2,000. Not going to buy much 
in the way of plants so I figured I'd beg a little here. 

Looking for anything. The soil is well drained and gravely. Trucking 
in as much manure as we can but it takes time. All of the time so far 
has been volunteer time. It's going to be volunteer time for a long 
while yet. On the upside the inmates have lots of time on their 
hands. Plenty of time to water things constantly.

If anybody has excess iris or other easy grow plants it would be 
greatly appreciated. Kind of looking for confidence builder type 
plants now. Foolproof things. Noids and hohum seedlings are fine. 
Perennials that will do zone 5 winters. Warmer by a bit at the jail 
than my own house. 

I've given them tons of plants but need variety. I think they've got 
everything I have now.

Can't do any trading yet. We can spring for postage. It's going to 
have to come out of that little budget. 
There is the possibility that I may be able to get a reciept for tax 
purposes as a donation. I know I got one from the Gov. himself for 
the plants I sent. By law it can't be more than $50 but hey it helps. 
Probably can get one off the programs director. Don't know for sure. 
This is all too new. 

So if anybody can help with the birth of a worthwhile project it 
would be greatly appreciated. 

We are in NH and pretty much the last safe planting date is in 
August. July being the best. My own home is zone 4 but I think the 
prison is zone 5. Usually a full 2 weeks difference in bloom there. 
Sometimes even more.

Sue


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