I teach gardening behind bars at Kent prison to prepare prisoners for life on the outside
Prison officer Jim Nundy spoke about the transformative benefits during National Allotment Week which runs from August 7-13
By Emma Boff
In Your Area
Aug 11, 2023
Excerpt:
Prisoners in a Category B prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, are being taught how to plant, prune and pick their own fruit and vegetables in a green-fingered initiative. Prison staff from HMP Swaleside are going the extra green mile by giving prisoners the opportunity to learn about various plants and landscaping techniques, while also giving them the chance to eat and enjoy the produce they’ve grown in the gardens.
Jim Nundy, 63, has worked as a prison officer for 24 years on the PIPE Unit (Psychologically Informed Planned Environments) which houses prisoners with complex needs and personality related difficulties, and also works on the Farms and Gardens section of HMP Swaleside. He said: “Around 50 prisoners have been given the opportunity to get involved in various horticulture projects at HMP Swaleside. And there’s no doubt these projects, and that time outdoors and in nature, is changing lives.
“I worked for the council for 18 years before training to become a prison officer here in 1999. I am an avid gardener outside of work, and have my own allotment space, which is actually how a lot of this got started. I jumped at the chance to pass on some of my skills and knowledge to the men in my care and produced all the seeds that started it off. It sounds cliché but I’ve had the pleasure of watching both the prison grounds and the prisoners bloom since we transformed this space.”
