Missouri’s Restorative Justice Program gives offenders the opportunity to repay the community for their crimes with community service and labor.
The program allows inmates in the Booneville Correctional facility to assist in planting, growing and donating fresh produce grown in the facility garden.
This past year the program donated 7,669 pounds to the Central and Northeast Missouri food bank. That total brings the food bank close to completing a significant goal according to Communications and Marketing Director Coordinator Mike De Santis.
“One reason that’s very important is that the food bank has a goal to be able to distribute 25 percent of our total weight in frozen fruits and vegetables or produce and last year we had 23 percent and this goes a long way in helping,” De Santis said.
The garden produces tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, turnips, potatoes, onions, green beans and watermelon among other fruits and vegetables.
The importance of fresh produce is crucial to another local charity, said the president of the group Neighbors helping Neighbors, Chuck Harris.
“They normally give us about a pick-up truck load of vegetables, which is a very good thing to have for folks. We try to supply our clients with the most nourishing food we can find and of course fresh vegetables right out of the garden is hard to beat,” Harris said.
Before an offender can volunteer to work in the garden, they first must take an Impact of Crime on Victims Class and take responsibility for their actions.
However, local charities and the community seem to be very thankful for their hard work.
“The Correctional Institution is a very important part of our distribution and this time of year we really do appreciate everything they do for us, and they are very willing to do the work,” Harris said.
So far this year the program and garden have grown and donated more than 12 tons of produce.