One Of America's Most Notorious Prisons Is Taking A New Approach To Rehabilitation - See It In Action

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Lindsay Morris

Qualities that come with taking care of small, living things - such as gentleness and sensitivity - help an inmate thrive inside and outside the prison walls.

The largest penal colony in the world, Rikers Island, is home to 11,000 inmates, 10 on-site jails, and one food garden.

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Five years ago, the NYC Department of Correction and the 113-year-old Horticultural Society of New York partnered to offer a restorative justice program there.

"GreenHouse" teaches inmates about the development of a plant, from seed to fruition, while preparing them for employment in landscaping or other green jobs after their sentence ends.

Developing a green thumb can make all the difference.

In 2013, sisters Carrington Morris and Lindsay Morris visited Rikers Island for a story in Edible Manhattan magazine. We've republished their comments and photos with permission. You can find the original article here.

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