It is known as Fresh Start Farms. A job training program at two local detention facilities is blossoming into a new chapter for the participants.
Watch this video to see how the harvest is now being taken to market.
The Civics Program is a partnership between the Sheriff's Department and County Parks and Recreation. Inmate workers perform tasks such as landscaping, cleaning county parks, trails, canals or ditches, clearing vegetation, creating fire buffer zones, as well as trimming and cutting hazardous trees.
The program started in July 2014 to help inmates develop skills and work habits needed to secure honest employment after their release. Gardening can be therapeutic and gives inmates a sense of purpose while
serving time behind bars. The work they do for County Parks also helps inmates build healthier connections with the community.
The program is currently in place at Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee and East Mesa Reentry Facility in Otay Mesa.
