Vignette: Greenhouses

Abstract

At the first prison we visited for this study, we came upon a greenhouse. We were visiting the landscaping class to see what kinds of inmates were enrolled, how the teacher managed class, and what materials she had on hand. The teacher mentioned that a greenhouse was at the prison but could not be used yet because it was not assembled. I asked the principal about this, and he pointed to the collection of pipes for an irrigation project laid against a fence. According to the principal, the greenhouse was dumped in this location, unassembled, because custody officials could not designate a safe place for it to be used. It was a relatively large structure, about as big as a two-bedroom apartment. Inmate movement to and from this structure and inmate supervision within the staffing allocations of correctional officers (COs) needed to be established before this rather large piece of equipment was erected. The principal mentioned that he feared the parts might be pilfered for other needs by the time custody officials approved a site.