The Starke County Justice Center’s community garden received The People’s Choice Heartland Award from the Indiana Department of Correction. The award was chosen by residents of Indiana for their successful 2016 harvest. To win the award, the program had to attain the most votes on Facebook and Starke County won by a landslide.
Officials from the IDOC visited the justice center Thursday to present the award. The community garden produces tomatoes, pumpkins, watermelon, and potatoes currently, with plans for even more variety next year. The inmates also keep track of 36 chickens, which produce about 20 eggs a day.
The food that isn’t used to help feed the Justice Center is donated to local nursing homes and food pantries.
Jim Bradford, the IDOC director of culinary arts for vocational reentry, who set up the People’s Choice Award, said he was impressed with the popularity of the facility. “I can’t tell you how much (Starke County) came behind this to support this award. It’s one fine facility.”
Phil Cherry, the jail warden, takes great pride in the program. “Because we’re a farming community, we thought this is something everyone will look at and pay attention to. Their family members are proud of what they’ve done and I think that’s important. We’re excited to expand next year.”
The County Justice Center has had a very successful therapeutic recovery program, with inmates coming in from eight surrounding counties. The inmates are organized into different groups, and mentor each other throughout the program. The inmates had a lot of praise for the different aspects of the program.
“We have GED classes, so some of us who don’t have a GED or a high school education got to participate in that. And I’d just like to say it is a great program.” Said an inmate in the recovery program.
Other inmates brought up being able to participate in raking leaves for the community, and cleaning up the fairgrounds. Inmates also have intensive family re-connection programs, where they get to have family discussions about home life for their return and healing processes within the family.
There are also fun activities for members of the recovery program. They have a dog come in every once in awhile to relieve stress which means a lot to the inmates, as well as football viewing parties.
