Some East Mesa Detention inmates participated in a job-training program by planting trees and performing landscaping tasks in Lakeside Thursday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).
Inmates planted trees and saplings, or 'seeds of hope' at El Monte County Park, as part of a program that seeks to offer them a second chance, said an SDSO official. Job skills obtained through landscaping and gardening can create a pathway to honest employment, along with a reduced chance of recidivism upon their release.
Plants cultivated and grown at the jail's greenhouse, will be planted at five different county parks throughout November, according to SDSO.
Gardening offers a therapeutic sense of purpose to inmates while they serve time behind bars, said an official. In order to be eligible for the job training program, inmates must have six months or less left of their sentence, and they must be non-violent offenders.
A deputy stayed on site at the park and constantly watched over the inmates, as an instructor from Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College taught them basic horticultural and landscaping skills.
According to SDSO, each inmate graduates with a certificate of participation.
