20 October 2020
Inmates at HMP La Moye took part in the Autumn Fruit, Flower, & Vegetable Show at the RJA&HS earlier this month and broke five records in the heaviest and longest fruit and vegetable classes.
As with the RJA&HS Summer Flower and Produce Show, competitors were judged virtually in order to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Prisoners won ten categories for growing a variety of vegetables.
Competing in the show is intended to contribute to prisoners' rehabilitation through learning skills in horticulture. The growing of vegetables and fruits provides a small, but varied, range of food that can be used in the prison kitchen to feed both prisoners and staff.
The States of Jersey Prison Service was awarded for efforts in ten classes:
- Heaviest Beetroot
- Heaviest Cabbage
- Heaviest Marrow
- Heaviest Cucumber
- Longest Parsnip
The long standing records broken this Autumn are:
- Heaviest carrot weighing 9lbs 13oz
- Heaviest parsnip weighing 8lbs 14.8oz
- Longest radish measuring164.5 inches
- Longest carrot measuring 159.8 inches
- Longest beetroot measuring 74.8 inches
The Head of Reducing Reoffending at the prison, Lesley Harrison, said: “Education and vocational training are just one pathway for reducing reoffending by opening up employment opportunities.
"To have their hard work and commitment recognised through competition at the RJH&S is a great motivator for prisoners who are part of the rehabilitation programme, and for all staff at the prison who support them."
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