KOLR10 News
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Corrections donated nearly 180 tons of fresh produce to local food pantries, shelters, churches and more throughout the state.
According to a statement, the donation comes as part of the department’s Restorative Justice Garden Program. In the program, offenders grow a variety of produce every year at of the 20 adult institutions and three of the community supervision centers of the Division of Probation and Parole in Missouri.
Offenders typically start cultivating the garden plots in April, while the harvesting usually begins in July and ends in late fall.
This is the third consecutive year the program set a donation record. Last year, nearly 163 tons of produce were donated by the institution’s gardens.
Full story: Mo. Offenders Donate 180 Tons of Produce Across the State