Itawamba Jail serves taxpayer savings and inmates benefits with garden
Jail garden expands this year with help from City of Fulton
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – It’s mid-morning, and about 15 Itawamba County inmates are working the jail garden.
Sheriff Mitch Nabors said the garden has expanded this year.
“The city had land adjacent to us, so they gave us permission to farm on it also,” Sheriff Nabors said.
The garden covers three to four acres. Squash, zucchini, peas, butter beans, corn, green beans, and other vegetables are in the ground.
Nabors said the vegetables provide healthy meals and healthy savings for his budget.
“We still have to buy the meat, but the vegetables and all that, pulled right here,” he said.
The jail never closes; it is open 24/7. Every week, more than 2,000 meals are served to the inmates. The jail garden helps ease the financial burden for the county, and there are also a lot of positive benefits for the inmates.
“The inmates, they are actually standing in line wanting to work in the garden, it gives them a chance to get out, they are still in the confines of the jail, but all of them love getting out and working in it,” Sheriff Nabors said.
The county recently purchased a refrigerated truck that can hold vegetables for use throughout the year.
Inmates must have good behavior to be able to work in the jail garden.
