Can We Solve All The World's Problems in a Garden? Pt 2 - Can a garden reduce Crime?

Question

The Garden Project in San Fransico has developed a successful crime prevention model and reduced high crime rates and recidivism (repeat offending). The rest of the world is looking at The Garden Project as it is a successful model for community change.

So what do you think about a garden being able to reduce crime?

http://www.gardenproject.org/faq.htm

Answer 1

This question reminds me of something my mother said to me as a child.

"Wars will end when people return to the land."

I don't think she had any idea of the scope of that statement.  It has many more meanings than are immediately obvious.

Answer 2

to learn to love and nurture when you haven't experienced it yourself is difficult - starting with plants is easier - so yes - I am not surprised that gardens can reduce crime

Answer 3

Unless you are planning to grow pot...I dont know how your garden can help to prevent crime.

Answer 4

does the question mean will criminals stop being criminals?

In 17th century London yes

In down town Johannesburg yes

But how many people  are in jail for stealing a loaf of bread???

Gardening does not make a rapist think less of raping,

probably more because he will be healthier.

Granted if one lifts the economic situation in any given location and the kids are occupied with gardening instead of hungrily roaming the streets looking for trouble ,There will be less chance of them growing up to be criminals.

And with conditions better at home because there is healthy food on the table will undoubtedly improve family relations

People from intense civilization ,far removed from nature,who are  growing food for the first time ,tend to be seduced by the magic of sprouting seeds and the magic of a home grown tomato ,awakening their poetic feelings, they did not know they had ,

The wonders of Nature can awaken new energies ,new ideas for people who have been denied any previous contact,or any one else for that matter .

So this helps in their spiritual development making them richer who knows maybe better or nicer???

An Artificial existence in the city has its negative effects.

I once sold tickets to city kids who were visiting a guest farm (where i worked at the time in South Africa).on a guest farm to watch the cows being milked

Many of them did not know that milk came from an animal

selling the tickets(very cheap) made it appear as if it was an event ,something special and made them interested .All got a free glass of milk

So from that aspect in poor suburbs community gardening projects are a brilliant idea covering many  social problems.like rising food prices, ,taking kids of the street,maybe even some family violence,and improving the Environment making it more beautiful .

And using Criminals for cheap labor is also a great idea,from an economic point of view and there may be some ,who may lead a more useful existence  when his term is up ,by giving him new skills.

All in all a place can only gain from these ideas,as mentioned above,but if this specifically cures criminals ,is doubtful to me

However

Urban agriculture is  a beautiful concept ,this is just a component of that idea ,aimed at a specific social group.

AGRO URBANIZATION

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

It is the end result that matters

Oops i may have argued myself into proving your point

Beautiful contribution as always Bohemian,you have convinced me

Answer 5

I have not read the entire link you provided (yet).  I think projects like this are a wonderful idea.  I also believe they work.

Time and time again prisoners have proven that if actually given a chance, and a true sence of dirrection that takes them AWAY from their former lifestyle, they can have possitive outcomes.  

This goes for prisoners who work with gardens, dogs from the pound, or training wild horses.

For the very first time, in many of these folks lives, they can have possitive feedback, and see possitive results from something THEY DID.  It can completely change their lives.

I use to ride my horse past a boy's home (boys sent there by court order, for breaking the law).  I was a 20 year old, just months out of being in my teens (I looked 16).

This boys home was in the middle of the desert, in Eastern Washington.  There was limited fencing around it, because frankly, where in heavens name were these boys going to run off too?

When they saw me, the boys would come flooding out of the buildings.  With permission, from the guards, they would approach me, and my horse.  It was the very first time many of those boys had ever touched a horse.  

It was a completely facinating thing for me.  Here were all of these boys, from 12-18.  There I was, 20 years old, but looking 16.  99% of the boys were not interested in me...they were completely facinated by my horse.

When they were finally called back by the guards many of them would BEG me to ride by again, so they could pet my horse again.  

It was facinating.  My horse became a reward.  If boys had behaved, done their therapy, and homework, they were allowed to come pet my horse when I rode by.  The man who was in charge told me it had been a minor miracle, in how many of them had completely turned their attitude around, just so they could have the privilage of petting my horse for 5 minutes if I happened to ride by that week.

Many of those boys were like puppies, just craving possitive words and attention.  

I think this garden project is a wonderful idea.  Couple possitive actions (growing plants), with possitive words/feedback, and you may see amazing turn arounds, and reductions in crime.

I think it's simply wonderful.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

(Going to read the rest of the link now)

Answer 6

The "Boy's Ranch" concept employed in many states in the US uses the idea that the connection to something that needs us is civilizing.

I lived in Colorado as a child, and I remember the "Boy's Ranch" in LaJunta, Colorado, a placement of last resort for boys in trouble with the law back in the 70's.  The outdoor activities included gardening and caring for livestock.  While the livestock component got more attention, the gardening provided the same lesson - we can help the life around us, or we can neglect or hurt it.  With our care, those lives can thrive.

Can knowing that our input matters help us control that input?  Absolutely.

Thanks for the link.

Answer 7

Urban gardening programs have been shown time and time again to raise the quality of life and lower crime in the areas where they are present.

Heifer International has done some great work in this area, but other organizations are involved as well.

Local gardening and a decentralization of the food supply would also reduce corporate white collar crime as well because it would take power out of the hands of the mega corporations that we currently rely on to provide our most basic of needs.

Answer 8

yes it works.

here's a new open prison in Norway working on similar lines;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2006/j...

Answer 9

ALL?

Certainly not. Even the strongest proponents of that, or similar programs don't make that claim.

But, yes, what a great thing. Not only helping most of the men avoid returning to jail, but feeding healthy foodstuffs to people who really need it. (That part was interesting, where originally they sold to high-cost resteraunts; then changed, and started donating the food. It's conceivable that some combo would actually be better, as they could get some funding from the sales, but still. Free, fresh, healthy veggies given out in poor communities.)

While we in California were debating the Three Strikes law, I read an article about a conference of prison wardens and assistent wardens.

They said, "No one is asking US how to reduce recidivism. If they did, we could tell them, as we actually know what's needed.

Addiction programs.

Therapy for adult victims of child abuse.

Literacy programs.

How to deal with problems non-violently.

Vocational training.

Enable prisoners to keep in contact with family during incarceration."

Unfortunately, no one listened then; no one's listening now.

There are other programs here and there that have also been found to work well: College education (first, prep, to get to the point of being able to do college work, then actually getting college degrees -- gives a person options, no?); Choir. (As with the gardening, simply giving people a SOMETHING helps.)

I saw a documentary about a convict-started "program" -- they'd get together, after prison, and have a self-help group. Talked about the difficulties they faced reincorporating into the outside world. Talked about reconnecting with their kids (and how hard that was, but also how rewarding).