Inmates and Staff Donate Vegetables to Food Bank

Inmates and staff of the Bishop’s Falls Correctional Centre recently demonstrated their commitment to supporting the community and those less fortunate as they donated their own grown vegetables to a local food bank.

“The Garden Therapy Program is one of a number of programs being delivered at our provincial correctional facilities with a goal of teaching inmates life skills and to help them better integrate back into society,” said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Justice. “I would like to acknowledge the commitment of staff in leading these important programs and congratulate inmates on their success in the Garden Therapy Program.”

Along with regular rehabilitative programming, staff and inmates of the Bishop’s Falls Correctional Centre have been cultivating kindness. Through the support of Lieutenant Bill Diamond, inmates are encouraged to plant and care for vegetables as part of the annual Garden Therapy Program. Once the vegetables are harvested, they are donated to a local charity to demonstrate the importance of giving back to the community. This year’s harvest was recently donated to the Grand Falls-Windsor Bishop’s Falls Community Food Bank. Staff and inmates have been growing potatoes at the centre for over 20 years and donating them to the food bank. The crops now include carrot, turnip, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, savory, radish, celery, strawberries, turnip greens and rhubarb.

Plans are currently underway to continue with the Garden Therapy Program during the fall and winter through the development of the Indoor Plant Therapy Program. Inmates interested in participating in the indoor program will be given the opportunity to acquire the skills necessary for planting and nurturing a variety of house plants. Inmates who participate will also keep a plant in their cell during the program to develop the ability to independently care for plants.

In addition to the Garden Therapy Program, other programming at the Bishop’s Falls Correctional Centre for inmates includes: addictions awareness; Respectful Relationships Program; parenting program; stress management; community housing building project initiatives; and a Canine Therapy Training Program.

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Photo: Staff of the Bishop’s Falls Correctional Centre present produce to the Grand Falls-Windsor Bishop’s Falls Community Food Bank. (L-R) Correctional Officer Leonard Murray, Classification Officer Shelley Quinton, Sandra Lewis, Grand Falls-Windsor Bishop’s Falls Community Food Bank, and Lieutenant William Diamond.

Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Justice
709-729-6985, 693-1865
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca

2012 12 20                         11:05 a.m.