HMP Foston Hall is transforming prison grounds and lives with blooming walled gardens

Green fingered prison staff from HMP Foston Hall are going the extra green mile by teaching prisoners how to plant, prune and pick their own fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers that are growing in the walled gardens of the women's prison in Derbyshire.

Gardening behind bars is giving prisoners the opportunity to learn about various plants and landscaping techniques, while food grown in the allotment is helping the prison to cut costs in the kitchen.

Around 45 prisoners are working in the gardens producing a huge array of food including tomatoes, onions, courgettes, chillies, apples and pears, under the watchful eyes of horticultural instructors Jo Macartney and Alan Bateman.

Activities Hub Manager at HMP Foston Hall Emma Whetton says: “Alongside their compulsory education classes, such as maths and English, some prisoners have been given the opportunity to get involved in various horticulture projects at HMP Foston Hall. And there’s no doubt it’s changing lives.

“Our garden staff want to help people, and I’ve been able to experience that first hand with my work as the Activities Hub Manager. Jo and Alan pass on their skills and knowledge to the women in our care. It sounds clichéd but I’ve had the pleasure of watching both the prison grounds and the prisoners bloom since they transformed this space.

“Once you join the prison service, you can get the chance to try new things within different teams or move around to different departments depending on your own interests and skill set.”

The kitchens and staff café at HMP Foston Hall use all the produce grown to serve prisoners and staff, and there is also a sale for staff when there is any surplus produce.

Helen Clayton-Hoar has been the governor of HMP Foston Hall for three years. She adds:

“A lot of the women here struggle with mental health issues, with many finding life behind bars difficult. But you can see such a direct change in them after they’ve spent time outdoors, working on special projects or in the garden where we grow our produce.

“It’s no walk in the park either - we have grounds including greenhouses that need to be looked after daily. We have some prisoners who had never been involved in growing produce before they arrived and suddenly they’re learning how to plant different types of flowers, or grow their own vegetables.

“We have plenty of open, green space and we aim to create more that everyone can benefit from.”

Supporting prisoners in the garden is just one aspect of life behind the walls of HMP Foston Hall for a prison officer. By building relationships and recognising the needs of prisoners, officers can help to cut reoffending while keeping communities safe.

Statistics from earlier this year show the number of ex-offenders who have been successfully steered into jobs within six months, across the prison service, more than doubling from 14% to 30% since April 2021.

Applications for prison officer roles at HMP Foston Hall are now open.

People who would like to take the first step towards a rewarding new career can apply or find out more by clicking

https://prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk/prison-officer/?utm_campaign=prc_foston_garden&utm_medium=media&utm_source=pr