PENDLETON — Gov. Mike Braun is advancing efforts to prepare incarcerated Hoosiers for successful reentry through community gardens at Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) facilities. Hoosier inmates tend these gardens, gaining meaningful work experience while connecting with the communities they will one day return to.
“If we want people to succeed when they leave our correctional facilities, that work has to start long before they walk out the door,” said Gov. Braun. “At Pendleton, I saw Hoosiers learning responsibility, doing meaningful work, and giving back by growing food for families who need it. That’s the kind of practical approach to reentry I’ve directed IDOC to focus on: preparing people to become productive neighbors, employees and members of their communities when they return home.”
IDOC donates more than 100,000 pounds of fresh produce from its community gardens each year to food pantries, faith-based organizations, and other community partners, focusing on areas where access to fresh, nutritious food is limited. Gov. Braun recently visited Pendleton Correctional Facility, where he toured the facility’s community garden and spoke with some of the inmates who tend and harvest its produce.
Gov. Braun has made improving reentry outcomes a priority. He issued an executive order last year that directed IDOC to take several actions to clear the path for incarcerated Hoosiers to successfully reenter the workforce and their communities. Gov. Braun’s approach focuses on successful reentry, improving public safety and reducing recidivism.
Providing opportunities for people who are incarcerated to make meaningful contributions to the community is critical to support their re-entry. Programs like community gardens also help inmates build positive connections that benefit them after release.
Inmate Dewayne Randolph says tending the garden has given him a sense of purpose while serving his time and changed his outlook on what is possible for his future.
“All I want is for others to understand that we all have the ability to change and choose who we are,” Randolph said, adding that he and his mother have plans to plant a garden together once he’s released. “We just need to plant seeds and create an opportunity that will become something great.”
