I recently enjoyed the movie Green Fingers, which is based on the true story of prisoners in England whose lives were transformed as they learned the art of gardening.

        The film reminded me of what I had heard about the horticulture program at Warren Correctional Institution in Lebanon and its horticulture instructor, Alex Pearl. I was eager to learn more about the program, so public defender Dan Whiteley arranged for me to visit the facility.

        We were greeted by Mr. Pearl, who started the program in 1989, the first such program in a men's prison in Ohio. A professional horticulturist and botanical garden manager, Mr. Pearl is proud of this learning program, where each student progresses at his own pace.

        “Our first textbooks were plant catalogs,” Mr. Pearl said. “We planted our first plants in Styrofoam egg containers.”

        But look how far the program has come. The school has won awards in the Cincinnati Flower Show. Prisoners help to grow flowers for inner-city gardens in Cincinnati and Dayton, and they are involved in many community service projects.

        Participants have an annual landscape competition and hold an annual plant sale for Warren Correctional employees and their families. This time of the year, they are growing poinsettias for the Ohio Governor's Mansion. An added program, in collaboration with the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, makes it possible for the men to be tested and certified, so when they re-enter the world outside of prison they can more easily find related jobs.

        Three apprentices — Michael Nagel, AlfredEvans and DavidGibson — have been chosen to help run the 2,400-square-foot greenhouse, care for the plants and encourage and mentor other horticulture students. All three say they feel fortunate to have been accepted into this federally funded program.

        “Working in this program puts my mind at ease,” Mr. Nagel said. “I get away from the noise and difficulties of prison life. This has been a rehabilitative experience. I love it.”
        Of 32 Ohio state prisons, 14 now offer horticulture studies. At Warren Correctional, there is a waiting list of 150 to get in the program. Only 12-15 men can participate each year.

        Contact Peg St. Clair by phone: 541-4680; Web site: www.gardenersnetwork.org.
       

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