Inmates at the Hinds County Penal Farm are eating better and costing taxpayers less money, thanks to a gardening program at the facility. Bill Maily, Hinds County extension agent, helps run the Mississippi Vegetable Demonstration Project at the prison. The farm feeds the about 200 inmates, and supplements meals at the two Hinds County jails. Dan Smith, commander of the penal farm, said state inmates at the prison work eight to 10 hours a day producing and preserving the food.
Inmates prefer working on the farm to staying in their cells.
It also builds a little pride because these are people who've never worked before and now they're doing something productive. Maily said the 25-acre farm produces corn, peas, broccoli, greens, potatoes, cantaloupe, okra and more. Once 1,000 bushels of each crop is preserved, excess vegetables are sold to buy more farm supplies. Buyers are vendors at the local farmers' market and the public at a street corner vegetable stand. In addition to vegetable production, the farm has a hog operation, started a meat goat operation last year and expects to begin a cattle operation next year, Smith said.