Inmate gardening program proffered

Tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and green peppers could help prisoners learn a new skill and help the Corrections Department’s bottom line.

Sponsored by Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen (R-Glencoe), HF467 would direct the department to establish a gardening program at state correctional facilities where space exists.

Approved April 12 by the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee, the bill was sent to the House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance Committee. It has no Senate companion.

Gruenhagen said gardening would be good for an inmate’s work ethic, would teach horticulture skills and help lower violence by reducing inmate idleness.

“People doing time should be productive in their course of doing time,” said Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy.

It would also help the bottom line because produce grown would be intended for inmate consumption. In states where programs already exist, Gruenhagen said “it has saved thousands, and in some cases, millions of dollars in terms of food costs for the correctional facilities.”

Excess crop could be donated to food shelves and other charities located near the prison. Produce that cannot be donated may be sold. Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson) unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill to remove the selling provision.

“I would highly doubt we’ll produce enough crops for sale,” said Roy. “I know how hungry our inmates are usually.”

Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL-St. Paul) raised concern about a thinly stretched guard staff having to do more by overseeing inmates working in a garden.

“Inmates involved in this activity would be our honor inmates that might not need real close scrutiny as they go about their day,” Roy said. “There would not necessarily be these operations initially in our very high security prisons.”

Paul Hugunin, program coordinator for Minnesota Grown, said some small farmers have expressed concern about having the state prison system become another competitor when it comes to marketing crops.

“I would hardly believe that we could force that much competition out of the state prisons that would hurt the market, and we already put out products from MINNCOR in competition with other folks, so it’s not like we’re breaking new ground here,” said Committee Chairman Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder).