Jail inmates host open house at community garden
Photo
RECAP (Rock County Education and Criminal Addictions Program) participants from left, John Handy, Cory Scheidegger and Josh Dahl look on as people come to visit the open house at the RECAP community garden near the Sheriff's office. Master Garden volunteers help with the garden and prepared dishes and displays for the open house, except for one kind of salsa prepared by the RECAP participants.
JANESVILLE — If it weren’t for Rock County Jail inmates, many low-income families would be short on produce.
“It helps us a lot because it ensures our clients are getting fresh vegetables they wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Marge Sell, an Everyone Cooperating to Help Others volunteer.
Sell was one of several people who attended Wednesday’s open house at the community garden east of the jail along Highway 14, where RECAP and unemployed Huber inmates grow food for local pantries.
Inmates wearing jail uniforms served samples of fruit and veggies they picked from their crop. They also offered tours of the garden.
Inmates grow everything from tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes to peppers, asparagus and strawberries in their half-acre plot in the garden.
The food inmates produce helps ECHO feed about 200 families a week, Sell said, while eating an ear of corn cooked by the inmates.
“I don’t know how they did it, but it is absolutely great,” she said.
Forty-four inmates grew and donated 4,300 pounds of produce to pantries in 2008.
Rock County UW Extension and the master gardener program teach inmates about gardening.
Barb Guse, a master gardener, works with inmates in the garden. She said they teach inmates about a variety of foods.
“They’re phenomenal. This garden would not exist without them,” he said. “They put in long, hard days.”
Josh Dahl, a RECAP inmate, regularly helps in the garden.
It’s a pleasure to plant produce, watch it grow and then help feed the hungry, he said. And it beats sitting behind bars.
“It’s good to actually do something positive with my life,” Dahl said. “It has showed me there is a lot more to life than drugs.”
Aug 31, 2009 at 8:04 a.m.
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moral to the story-everyone deserves a chance to better themselves and better their community.
Aug 29, 2009 at 8:19 a.m.
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moral to the story; don't pick up hitch hikers along hwy 14 if they are wearing farmer bib overalls and a straw hat chewing on a twig.
Aug 29, 2009 at 12:17 a.m.
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klick-not sure I'd respond as that person did. But, I do agree that they shouldn't have the option of wearing 'street clothes' for the pic. They are still in jail and if it's demeaning and cheap, then all the more reason for them to try harder when they get out of jail!!
Aug 28, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.
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Lost_city
Aug 28, 2009 at 8:16 a.m.
Suggest removal Hey Areyou..these dirt bags are in jail!! They should not even had a photo opt. The crimes they commited are what is cheap and demeaning.
+ Lost City
why are you so negative
Aug 28, 2009 at 9:05 p.m.
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How about the crime of going into a freagen country like Hitler did and taking it over? Is that a crime?
Aug 28, 2009 at 2:55 p.m.
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tiredofhearingit: And have the detained juveniles take part in the gardening also. Building personal pride pays off big most of the time.
Aug 28, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.
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I say expand this - go 5,6 or 10 times bigger. Hit EVERY Farmers Market in the area on weekends, sell to local grocers etc. & FUND the 400K we need to keep the JDC OPEN!
Aug 28, 2009 at 1:17 p.m.
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I think this is a great program; however, I wouldn't say that the inmates donate the food. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to be part of a program that gets them on the other side of the bars during the summer months. We should put all of them to work in the garden. Just think of the people they would be feeding and the payback for the crimes they committed.
Aug 28, 2009 at 11:35 a.m.
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This program is proof that if the county farmed it's land instead of renting it out, they could literally fill all the food pantries in the county. With such hard economic times ahead of us, it would seem wise to do this on a larger scale.
This program is educational and beneficial to many people. Education is what many inmates lack, and programs like these can lead to a reduction in recidivism. Here, both the inmate and the community win. Bravo!
Aug 28, 2009 at 11:34 a.m.
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I agree...this program is a very good thing. The inmates in the RECAP program that are participating in this volunteer work are trying to turn things around for themselves and do something positive for the community. It's a win - win for all involved. Let's not knock a good thing k? Keep up the good work folks!
Aug 28, 2009 at 11:15 a.m.
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what are there crimes lost city?do you know?some people can change,they are trying to do something positive an people like you have to ruin a good article.maybe next time they wont do it and people might go hungry,would that make you happy?
Aug 28, 2009 at 8:16 a.m.
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Hey Areyou..these dirt bags are in jail!! They should not even had a photo opt. The crimes they commited are what is cheap and demeaning.
Aug 28, 2009 at 7:33 a.m.
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Awesome!!
Aug 28, 2009 at 1:37 a.m.
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These guys have reason to be proud of their work. I agree with others posting here that this is a great way to help both the inmates and the community. Thanks, guys!
Aug 28, 2009 at 1:09 a.m.
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They could've let them wear their street clothes for the photo opt. How cheap and demeaning!
Aug 28, 2009 at 1:07 a.m.
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What, why not the one kind of salsa?
, was it SPECIAL salsa?
Aug 28, 2009 at 1:05 a.m.
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Bulid a green house instead of expansion and sell some (not all just some)of the produce to Woodmans for the expansion fund! Don't worry truecitizen, those being released now probably will be back in time for spring planting or at least summer watering!
Aug 27, 2009 at 11:30 p.m.
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It won't matter unless these individuals continue ONLY the right moves, after they are done with their sentence. Time can't lie, so see what it brings. Too many people return to the system. I'm negative, but I hope for the change.
Aug 27, 2009 at 11:16 p.m.
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Keep making more laws you'll all be in there doing the same thing!!! lol
Aug 27, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.
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Wow, impressive..Too bad the fall and winter months are amoung us now..Would be nice to see this continue on in a greenhouse year-round..
Aug 27, 2009 at 9:09 p.m.
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How fabulous. Both for the people being nourished by the food, and for the spirit of the inmates that are nurturing the soil. Gardening and growing food are intrinsically healing- I bet this program has helped these inmates so much more than other, more costly programs....
Aug 27, 2009 at 8:32 p.m.
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I agree. For once I can see some good coming from the jail system. This is what inmates should be doing with their time, finding a way to give back to the society they've been a drain on.
Aug 27, 2009 at 8:21 p.m.
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What a wonderful story! This is so good for so many reasons. HOpefully it will help the inmates to feel that they are a part of something bigger and know how good it feels to help others! Plus, the benefits for the families receiving the food - great story. What a wonderful way to build community!
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