Correction News - North Carolina Department of Corrections

Correction News / June-July 2009Avery-Mitchell CI plants contribute to communityCorrectional officers Russell Chandler, left, and Jeffery Cassanego, alongwith inmates Edward Gurley and Anthony Kilgo, show off some of thebounty from the Buncombe Correctional Center garden this year.A thrifty, generous garden at Buncombe CCBuncombe Correctional Center’s extra effort with itsgarden this year has paid off with cost savings to theprison.Local greenhouses and sales farms donated morethan 10,000 plants for prison gardening. Most wereplanted at Buncombe, but some were also shared withprisons.According to project leader Food Service OfficerRussell Chandler, “The garden has produced to date181 bushel of produce, which is being used in theFood Service Department almost daily now. We are alsofreezing excess produce for use this winter.”Additionally more than 70 bushels of produce havebeen given to other prisons to help off set strainedfood service budgets.The garden is tended by an inmate crew and monitoredby Chandler and Correctional Officer JefferyCassanego.“We have a very skilled inmates working the garden,and the inmates that are less skilled are showing a greatinterest in learning this craft,” Cassanego said.The officers estimated that the garden has producedmore than $5,000 dollars worth of produce, whichmay double based on current market prices.Instructors Shane Biddix andSara Coffey along with RhondaPeterson, Avery-Mitchell CIeducation supervisor.The Avery/Mitchell CorrectionalInstitution horticultureprogram has donatedplants to a gardenthat encourages a senseof community and sharingof work and bounty.Plants -- includingcaulflower, broccoli andcabbage -- were donatedin June to the Green ValleyCommunity Garden.All plants not sold toemployees or used in theprison garden must bedestroyed or donated toa non-profit organization.The horticulture programis under the supervisionand instruction ofShane Biddix, a contractemployee of MaylandCommunity College.The donations wereinitiated by Jada Daniels,classification coordinatorand a resident of GreenValley. Approximately32 flats with more than1,500 plants were donatedto the garden project.The Green ValleyCommunity Garden allowslocal residents tojoin for a fee of $5. Themoney is used to purchaseseeds, fertilizer andother necessities for thegarden.All who join andcommit to two hoursper week to work in thegarden have a joint sharein the crops. Any extracrops after members gettheir share are dividedamong local food banks.Green thumbs,good gardensNice cabbagesLou Powell, right, horticulture instructor at PamlicoCorrectional Institution, recently showed the prison’sleadership an example of the skills that his inmatestudents are learning. The cabbages are prizewinning size and the peturnias are vibrant. From leftare Willard Hall, assistant superintendent / custody& operations; Michael J. Lamm, superintendent;Anthony Florence, assistant superintendent /programs; and Vicki Courtney, administrative officer.Correction Newsis an employee newsletter published by the North Carolina Department of Correction’sPublic Affairs Office. If you have questions, comments or story ideas,please contact George Dudley at dgh02@doc.state.nc.usor 919.716.3713.