Prison Inmates Receive Rehabilitation Through Agriculture

Education and hands-on work experience are crucial to finding and keeping a good job. Many Tennessee state prison inmates are getting invaluable experience and training while serving their time through agriculture rehabilitation at the Department of Correction farm operation and the Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction (TRICOR).

Gardens, Greenhouses and Growers

The Department of Correction farm operation got its start in 2000 by instituting gardens at three prison facilities, one in each region of the state. Since that time, the program has expanded to eight facilities and now includes greenhouses, row crops and more.

On average, there are about 15 to 20 positions available at each location, and minimum-security trustees – inmates who have proven themselves to be trustworthy – can apply to work in the farm operation. Fields range from 40 to 200 acres, and inmates work eight-hour days performing a wide variety of activities. For education, horticulture instructors teach classes at three of the facilities. At the other facilities, the officers in charge of the crews take classes provided by the University of Tennessee and in turn pass on the information to the inmates. 

“We try to instill a work ethic in the inmates,” says Doug Griffith, correctional farm manager. “We also want to teach them a skill – whether it’s the greenhousing, operating equipment or learning how to grow food.” 

See more: Tennessee Farms Expand Into Processing as Demand for Local Meat Soars

Rehabilitation Through Farming

All the vegetables grown on site are used to feed inmates at every prison institution in the state, even those that don’t have a farm program. 

“Fresh vegetables can taste better than the vegetables that come from a can,” Griffith says. “The inmates actually look forward to it. You’ll hear them say something like, ‘All that squash came in, this is what they made with it, and it was great – there wasn’t any left!’ It does make a difference.” 

Beyond the health and taste benefits of using freshly grown produce, the farm operation program also significantly reduces the cost of feeding the inmates.

“Hopefully, we’re changing people’s hearts and minds and helping them become a productive part of society,” Griffith says. “That’s our main goal.”

See more: How to Start a Modern-Day Victory Garden to Help Feed the Hungry

High-Tech Training

State agency TRICOR operates at two state penitentiaries – one in East and another in West Tennessee. TRICOR doesn’t use any taxpayer dollars directly and operates solely off the revenue that it generates.

“We have a lot of different programs that provide a work environment for offenders to gain on-the-job training, and we incorporate a behavior piece with cognitive behavioral therapy,” says Roger Clark, regional operations manager. 

There are two main components of the TRICOR ag program – row crops and a cow/calf operation. On about 2,600 acres, they grow corn, wheat and soybeans using modern agricultural equipment. 

“We teach these men how to operate the technology they would find on most farms today, including GPS and other computerized systems,” Clark says. 

The beef herd consists of 400 to 450 cows on 1,200 acres. Most of the feed grown on the property. The trustees are engaged with every aspect of farming. They even operate the tractors and ATVs, build fence, main the equipment and more. 

The turnover rate is fairly high because the trustees who work on the farm are typically close to completing their sentences. As a result, training is always taking place, equipping inmates with a better chance to find work after release. 

Now, in fact, one previous participant works for TRICOR as an associate buyer/planner, and another works as a parts manager at a major farm operation in Tennessee. 

“Guys from our program are almost always successful in finding post-release employment,” Clark says.