Friday, July 17, 2015
Staff report
LEAVITTSBURG
Inmates at the Trumbull Correctional Institution, 5701 Burnett Road, have joined in the effort to battle hunger.
Offender groups started and funded a community garden, which was worked on 10 hours a day, cultivating 150 pounds of vegetables that were donated to local agencies in Warren.
Warren Family Mission, Tod’s Crossing, and Free Indeed were the first recipients. Future donations are to continue on a weekly basis.
“The main goal is to provide healthy vegetables to those in need, while providing offenders with meaningful activities to make a difference in the community,” TCI Warden Christopher LaRose said in a news statement.
The idea originated from an inmate who was a farmer before his incarceration.
Startup plants were donated by two inmate groups: Links, which focuses on helping offenders become productive members of society, and WordMasters, whose mission is to enhance Christian communication skills in a public forum with biblical principles and ethics.