For immediate release:                                                                          10-24-06

Prison Produce Wins SCI Community Service Award

From HAPCAP

(Lancaster, OH) The three-quarter acre garden on the Southeastern Correctional Institution’s farm property yielded a special harvest this fall. Almost four thousand pounds of produce was donated to the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank in Logan, Ohio.  This food bank serves eleven Ohio counties and provides for food pantries, monthly food boxes and Meals on Wheels. The donated prison-grown produce saved the food bank nearly $9,000.00 this year. Therefore, the Hocking, Athens, and Perry County Community Action Programs (HAPCAP) presented SCI a community service award for their generous donation.

Most of the seeds and plants were donated, and less than $20.00 was spent from the SCI’s farm account to purchase additional seeds and plants. Inmates assigned to work on the farm tended to the garden and helped harvest the produce. The garden was such a success that SCI will at least double the donation next year. The following is a list of prison produce sent to the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank:

Tomatoes                   1290 pounds

Cucumbers                   495 pounds

Bell peppers                 985 pounds

Banana peppers            305 pounds

Zucchini                        190 pounds

Hot peppers                   45 pounds

Cabbage                      110 pounds

Green beans                 410 pounds

Okra                              10 pounds

Corn                            100 pounds

Total:                         3,940 pounds

For more information, please contact PIO Rick Chuvalas at 740-653-4324 ext. 2001.