I visited prisions for 8 years and worked with adults accused of Felonies. I think many Prisons, like OSCI in Salem Oregon, still have Resident-staffed agriculture programs to offset costs and teach cooperation, routines and other work-skills. Composting, understanding seasonal process, and other ecology lessons are great, and help stimulate citizen-responsibility values.

It is a great idea to do it in the city too, IMO, for both teens and adults. County Corrections Dept money could help, and community volunteers can teach/assist in areas needed. I bet an Intenet Search under Prison Industries & Inmate Programs might yeild some info...let me know if you want help on that. perhaps your Extension Service and Master Gardener Program might provide help?

A few issues: disparities in cognitive and motor skills, and levels of ability to work safely with tools due to physical and mental impairment varies widely, especially when persons are in County Custody, and experiencing stress and detox. So appropriate screening, orientation, tool inventory procedures, and Supervision will be especially helpful. Hostile and violent offenders are not obviously appropriate for work with tools around others. You would not believe the number of offenses that are committed with simple tools! Some work release programs and so called work-farms may be worth studying too.

Good Luck - on a worthy project - with many benefits to individuals!

pdxJules

Here is a link that might be useful: some Inmate Agriculture Search Results