Mo. Prison Gardens Donate 50 tons of Food
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Missouri prisoners have raised more than 50 tons of vegetables and fruit that have been given to food pantries around the state.
The Department of Corrections says this year's harvest was significantly higher than last year's, when the agency donated 29 tons of produce through its Restorative Justice Garden Program. Under the program, all the seeds and plants are donated to the Corrections Department, which then donates all the resulting food to local pantries.
The top producer so far this year has been the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, which grew more than 23,000 pounds vegetables and fruits. The Farmington Correctional Center has donated nearly 18,500 pounds while the Jefferson City Correctional Center has raised more than 16,400 pounds of produce.