What were they thinking? Horse farms and inmates?
It was one of those feel-good programs that come across reporters' desks nearly every day. This was from the state prison system: "Restorative Justice Benefits Women Inmates and Starving Horses."
A mix of crime and feel-good animal stories. Inmates helping abused horses at the Days EndFarm Horse Rescue in Howard County. A can't miss!
In this photo by The Sun's Kenneth K. Lam, Nelson Myers, left, a correctional officer, helps some of the inmates and volunteers unload bales of hay for the abused horses that. State prison inmates delivered 220 bales of hay from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to Days End Farm.
Here's what the news release said:
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services today added yet another to its growing list of unique restorative justice inmate initiatives, putting a work crew comprised of female inmates at Howard County’s Days End Farm Horse Rescue. The inmates, from the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCI-W) in Jessup, will begin with grounds maintenance and landscaping, and eventually move into equine care. “What we try to do with these restorative justice programs is not only give inmates skills and the chance to pay back the society they’ve harmed, but meaningful projects that really do make a difference in the lives of people -- and in this case, horses,” said DPSCS Secretary Gary Maynard.
Only state prison officials forgot to tell the neighbors of the horse farm, as well as the young volunteers who work there. Now, state officials have shut down the program, according to a story by The Baltimore Sun's Larry Carson.
The prisoners were four to six women, non-violent offenders who were close to being released. A little bit of communication and this all probably could've been avoided. The prisoners need to transition from jail to real life and the Days End Farm Horse Rescue needs help caring for help with the 70 abused and neglected horses in their care. The farm just took in a dozen more horses from a farm seized in Garrett County.
Here is more from state prison officials and some of the projects performed by inmates:
DPSCS began its Public Safety Works initiatives last year to help communities and non-profits accomplish projects despite limited manpower and resources, and has completed some remarkable achievements since: inmates have planted more than 600-thousand trees, including 3,800 to restore Antietam Battlefield to its Civil War appearance; built thousands of oyster spat cages; grown enough shoreline-restoring bay grasses to protect several islands; and restored state veterans’ cemeteries, as well as important historical sites like Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore and the town hall in the western Maryland city of Williamsport.
The women inmates from MCI-W are all non-violent offenders with little time remaining on their sentences. The four to six women will work in a group under the supervision of a correctional officer. They have received training by Days End on working around horses, and will begin their work with the goal of helping the 58-acre farm create more grazing pasture land.
Categories: Confronting crime, Howard County, Prisons
Comments
why give them a skill, why let the women help where help is needed and money short, they can always go back to crime even in the great howard county
Posted by: gwen shelton | July 15, 2010 9:43 AM
Look to the City of New Orleans as a place that uses inmates to care for horses for their mounted police program. It seems to be a good program.
Posted by: emjay | July 15, 2010 9:52 AM
Another good idea derailed by lack of communication and fear. Hope it gets resolved and the program is resumed.
Posted by: GlenW | July 15, 2010 11:15 AM
"A little bit of communication and this all probably could've been avoided."
Yeah, or a little bit of people acting like adults, and saying, "oh, we should have known about it, but that sounds great" instead of raising a fit about it.
More needed about the squeaky wheel here. This didn't just get shut down because they didn't notify people well enough.
Posted by: F | July 15, 2010 11:32 AM
"...department officials point out that the four inmates who were the first participants were classified as nonviolent offenders."
What does one have to do to be classified as a violent offender?
Check them out yourself on the Maryland Judiciary Case Search
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquirySearch.jis
Paula Jordan has criminal record a mile long including;
Paula Jordan (DOB 1969)
* ASSAULT-SECOND DEGREE
* DEADLY WEAPON-INT/INJURE
* DANGEROUS WEAPON-INT/INJURE
* ASSAULT-FIRST DEGREE
* RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
* SOLICITING
* INDECENT EXPOSURE
Posted by: Al Einstein | July 15, 2010 11:51 AM
Barry Stamper (shown in Sunpaper photo catching a bale of hay) - long criminal history dating back to 1991 including;
ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY
ASSAULT-SECOND DEGREE
DEADLY WEAPON-INTENT TO INJURE
Posted by: Al Einstein | July 15, 2010 11:56 AM
Unbelievable. How can anyone object to this program? 4-6 nonviolent women offenders getting some life lessons in compassion sounds like a very good thing.
And before you say it, it would be perfectly fine in my backyard.
Posted by: LJ Kirk | July 15, 2010 12:05 PM
This was an excellent idea,the farm and inmates both would have benefitted. Who cares what the neighbors thought,their objections should have been ignored unless something happened.
Posted by: M. A. Korman | July 15, 2010 12:23 PM
I live near Lisbon, MD and am perfectly fine with these inmates helping out. I hope the program is restored.
Posted by: Daisy | July 15, 2010 7:30 PM
The program has not only misrepresented the type of offenders (violent,) but also the gender. Clearly male prisoners are shown in the photos, when the press releases all talk about women prisoners being used.
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services today added yet another to its growing list of unique restorative justice inmate initiatives, putting a work crew comprised of female inmates at Howard County’s Days End Farm Horse Rescue. The inmates, from the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCI-W) in Jessup, will begin with grounds maintenance and landscaping, and eventually move into equine care. “What we try to do with these restorative justice programs is not only give inmates skills and the chance to pay back the society they’ve harmed, but meaningful projects that really do make a difference in the lives of people -- and in this case, horses,” said DPSCS Secretary Gary Maynard.
This whole thing was misrepresented and should be canceled.
Posted by: Ed | July 18, 2010 6:22 AM