Inmates at the Two Bridges Regional Jail have been clearing brush and readying a large square patch of land in back of the jail to grow vegetables next spring. The project, which is led by jail personnel, county government officials and volunteers from the outer community, is still in its growing stage.
The seeds of invention have been planted and organizers are working toward the goal of inmates growing vegetables for the needy.
Naomi Bonang, the jail’s Industry Supervisor, is heading up the agricultural work program and is joined by Col. Mark Westrum, the jail’s Corrections Administrator and county commissioner Sheridan Bond.
The roughly 100′ by 60′ rectangle of ground lying between groves of old apple trees and spruce has been tilled. Bonang said that Jeff Avril at Ames Supply in Wiscasset has volunteered his time on this project.
“That’s something we hashed up at the corner one day; things we could do for the community,” Avril said, “I think it’s good for the guys spending time out there, good for the people receiving food. I don’t see how we can miss.”
Bonang said that Avril helped her and other workers choose a site for the garden, took soil samples and made arrangements for the rototilling.
“I hope at some point we can bring back the apple trees,” Bonang said.
The inmates cleared sticks and brush and have spread lime over the rich, chocolate colored earth. A wide, grassy path leads from the back of the jail a short distance through the woods to the clearing.
The plan is to grow vegetables that can winter over, such as potatoes and squash. Most of these vegetables would go to soup kitchens, church groups, schools and food banks, Bonang said. The inmates would still be able to sample some of the bounty, despite the jail’s contract with an outside food service company.
“I could see an inmate sitting down with a bowl of freshly sliced cucumber,” Westrum said, agreeing with Bonang and Bond that to taste the produce would give inmates the sense of accomplishment.
“There’s a lot of hungry people out there and these guys love giving back,” Bonang said.
Bond said that some of the people who come through the doors of the jail lack some basic life skills, such as doing laundry and growing vegetables. People who never had the support and guidance from two parents may not have had the opportunity to learn. The garden work program will teach inmates a life skill that would help them when they leave for the outside world, Bond said.
“A lot of the inmates are interested,” Bonang said. “The chance to do something with their hands during the day is appealing.”
She said that the work the inmates do gives them a sense of pride and a chance to give back to the greater community. The garden program, like the other work programs at Two Bridges, would also give the inmates job skills.
According to Bond, other regional jails are doing similar programs. He said that Kennebec and Cumberland County jails have work programs. The programs not only offer inmates the sense of pride in their work and job skills, but also show them paths toward a healthier lifestyle. Bond said that traditional jails have gotten a bad rap, because they don’t correct what’s wrong in the inmates’ lives.
According to Bond, The old Lincoln County jail could not accommodate the number of law breaking citizens before Two Bridges was built. A lot of these people had to be transported to other jails. Bond added the Lincoln County jail didn’t have the number of programs Two Bridges has today and plans to have in the future. He said that bunks were stacked on top of each other and space was tight. He also said that authorities of the old jail were hindered from creating new programs.
Located on 75 acres in Wiscasset, Two Bridges Regional Jail is a mostly short-term facility that serves Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties. TBRJ has been growing and developing new programs since it opened in 2006.
“None of this would have been possible without the support from people in the community,” Bond said.
Bonang said that inmates have been able to take advantage of community college classes, thanks to a state grant. Inmates have been learning valuable trade skills, she said, including work in the marine trades.
Bonang said that the inmates have been building parts for Morris Yacht Company in Trenton, a builder of high-end yachts. Inmates have also been making items with wood and other materials that can be sold and donated to area non-profits.
“It’s amazing the talent pool we have here,” Westrum said, referring to some of the projects made by the inmates. “The things that come out of their own creativity and imagination is incredible.”
The inmates have worked in a crocheting program developed by the jail’s Program Officer, Susan Sutter. They have also made many different items out of wood, including games and picture frames.
Bonang said that the programs work well. The goal of the jail is to get inmates adapted to society and turned around in the right direction, she said.
“The bottom line is that these people are your neighbors,” Bond said. “The people who are here have gone in the wrong direction and we’re trying to set them in the right direction.”
Bond said that the jail has a 12 member board that oversees some of the jail functions. He said that they hope at some point to have an advisory committee that could consist of farmers, members of the clergy and former judges.
“It could be anyone who wants to help,” Bond said.
