How Mississippi inmates are harvesting crops to set themselves up for success

JACKSON, Miss. ( WKRG ) — Inmates at a Gulf Coast correctional institution helped to harvest over 140,000 pounds of produce as part of a program aimed at helping them be successful upon release.

According to a press release from the Mississippi Department of Corrections, inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Greene County, Miss. were among inmates at seven facilities to help with the harvest.

The following facilities helped in the harvest:

• South Mississippi Correctional Institution: 24,123 lbs. of blueberries
• Mississippi State Penitentiary: 118,140 lbs. of produce
• Delta Correctional Facility: wildflowers, fruit trees, grapes, honeydew melons, and more.
• Marshall County Correctional Facility: 89.25 bushels of butter beans
• Walnut Grove Correctional Facility: tomatoes
• Central Mississippi Correctional Facility: multiple gardens with vegetables
• Mississippi Correctional Institute for Women: multiple gardens with vegetables

Inmates at the above facilities worked to harvest over 143,000 pounds of produce including blueberries, row crops, wildflowers, fruit trees, grapes, honeydew melons, butter beans, tomatoes, and a variety of vegetables.

The harvesting was all part of a horticulture program, officials with the MDOC said.

“The program is designed to teach inmates how to garden so that upon release, they can provide food for their families and cut the cost of healthy living, and we are helping to feed ourselves,” said MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain.

Inmates will continue to work on harvesting beyond the summer season with preparations underway for fall and winter crops.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.