Author Archives: mjwayblog

.After returning back to our facility and feeling good about our contribution to Habitat For Humanity’s “Blitz Build” I was alerted by one of my tutors that all of the school’s tutors had been drug tested while I was away. Two of the newly hired Horticulture tutors tested positive for opiates. They were caught tryingContinue reading “The Prison Reality”

.We determined what our signature flower would be which identified us as a producer for the Habitat For Humanity Nursery. That nursery was established at my mentors’ facility. Our contribution, a perennial Hybrid Hibiscus. This plant would grow every year in our Northern climate. and would not have to be replanted. We had been growingContinue reading “A signature flower”

.The flowers for the yard had been grown in the greenhouse by my students and tutors. The production in the first year was incredible. Over 40,000 annuals, 20, 000 perennials and 10, 000 vegetable plants had been propagated and planted through out our facility. Donations were made of perennials and vegetable plants to our extensionContinue reading “The First Harvest”

Then it happened. The siren was blown. My tutors and I scrambled all over the yard collecting tools from my students and locking them in our tool shed. I thought I had all my bases covered. Staff were accounted for in the school, and I was allowed to go count the tools to make sureContinue reading “Cowboys come and cowboys go not caring how the flowers grow.”

Pushback was beginning to happen again, and it had to do with who I hired as school tutors. It seemed that every time a new assistant deputy warden was hired (ADW) I had to explain who I was, what was I doing, and who was working for me. Specifically, who were my tutors, what wereContinue reading “Horticulture 101”

“ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way “ Mark Twain I figured out rather quickly that for every action I completed towards implementing the Horticulture class at the prison I could expect an equal and opposite reaction from my detractors. It is theContinue reading “The First Plan Revisited”

Developing a workable horticulture plan for the prison school was much easier than implementing it. I started by hiring Horticulture tutors who had a background in the discipline. I also had to include all the workers who were hired by one of the Deputy Wardens, and they proved to be a real pain. They thoughtContinue reading “The First Plan”

.When I returned to our prison school the principal was waiting for me. He had already spoken with the principal whose facility I had visited. I was tired from the ride back and we agreed to talk about my trip in the morning. He asked what I thought about prison horticulture and I informed himContinue reading “The Plan”

While walking out of seven block back through the administration building my colleague began talking about the prison farms and how the prison was very much self sufficient at one time. The farms produced beef, dairy, chickens, eggs, and pigs. They fed the inmates and prison staff with which could only be described in currentContinue reading “The Visit Part 3”

As we began walking back to the school the principal started to explain what was currently happening at this prison. In 1988 the prison was ordered to downsize by the Federal Government. Being the “largest walled prison at that time,” it was not an easy task. The main prison was divided into 4 separate prisons.Continue reading “The Visit Part 2”