SALEM, Oregon —
The New York City Department of Correction has long partnered with the Horticultural Society to maintain a garden at Rikers Island, and the Insight Garden Program has been working in correctional facilities such as San Quentin State Prison in California.
Now a Japanese garden five years in the making is changing things at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Advocates believe bringing nature to the prison will help improve the quality of life for those who are incarcerated and for those who work there.
They hope the creation can spur a cultural shift at correctional facilities across the country.
