LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported this week that the garden area at the has been completed.

While the jail has had numerous gardens in the past, this is one of the few times where not only the inmates, but several of the officers were responsible for spearheading the project, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

Prior to taking office, Sheriff Brian Martin told staff that he wanted there to be a garden at the facility. 

He explained that this would allow the inmates to not only have a sense of pride in the produce that they grow, but it would also instill a sense of ownership in the jail as well.

Correctional Officer Jeremy Pickens was the individual who had been pushing to have this project move forward and assisted with guiding it to completion, Brooks said.

However, Brooks said none of this would have been possible without the technical expertise of the Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Dolby.

Brooks said Dolby was responsible for constructing the enclosure and guiding the inmates in the construction of the raised beds and the sprinkler system. 

There have been numerous donations made towards the project, Brooks said.

One of the largest donations was the expert guidance provided by Master Gardener Gabriele O’Neill. Brooks said she donated her time to guide an inexperienced crew of officers and inmates in building a successful garden. She also donated several plants for the garden.

The purpose of the garden is to help develop some pride for the inmates and be a source of nutrition for them, Brooks said.

If the garden does well, Brooks said there are ideas to donate the produce to the local senior centers and possibly sell any extra at the local farmer markets.

While this is not a new concept in the corrections setting, Brooks said the direction of education, ownership, sustainability and community pride is what the staff at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility are trying to achieve.

The Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility is no longer just about incarceration, Brooks said, but also about rehabilitation and education.