The old Kentucky saying …one may have heard…"When people are without a purpose they perish” means that when individuals are without a purpose, they fail.  Unfortunately, some may try to develop a purpose by turning to substance abuse which alienates them from family, friends, and community, and often results in incarceration.

Most of the time, when someone ends up in the prison system, or drug rehabilitation, they have hit rock bottom. Most are separated from their family and friends and are seeking a way to improve their life. Some people are so depressed about their situation (being incarcerated or in a rehabilitation facility) that they retreat into the corners of the rooms hoping that no one notices them and barely asking questions or socializing with anyone. 

Kentucky State University Extension, in cooperation with the University of Kentucky Extension, worked to bring hope into these facilities for soon to be released inmates.  Specifically, beekeeping has been used to teach inmates and women in different rehabilitation programs, techniques to earn a living, make new friends, or to develop new strategies to deal with life.

I worked in facilities located in Kentucky, specifically the Big Sandy Federal Prison in Martin County, the Pulaski County Jail, and the Sky Hope Women Rehabilitation Center located in Pulaski County.  She has worked with over 240 individuals through planned classes to teach them "Out of the Bee Box" classes on beginning beekeeping. 

Usually, the program was a series of six individual classes. The first class is “basic and sustainable Beekeeping”, which was followed by a class on the basic hardware of a beehive.” Next came a class on “how to assemble the beehive boxes and what do we do with all these boxes”. The fourth class in the series is on” honey and how do we harvest it” followed by "We have Honey now what do we do with the other items from the beehive!" In the final class, they are taught “how to market honey and keep the hive going.” 

At the Sky Hope Women Recovery Center, 80% of the ladies in recovery were unaware of the different flavors of honey and the taste of fresh honey.  Sampling honey during the first class opened up a new "Box" of information for them. Some of the ladies liked the taste of honey so much that they came back for seconds and thirds.  And they became regular participants in the training program.

A majority of the ladies at “Sky Hope” had never tasted 100% pure honey. Sampling different flavors of honey were new experiences for them. The ladies were thrilled, and one lady who usually sits at the back table came up and asked the Agent to go over again precisely how bees make honey from the nectar of flowers!  This was a much-needed interaction for her!  One lady, after tasting honey samples from all over the world, stated that “she much loved the honey from Kentucky.”

In the Federal Prison of Big Sandy, the inmates showed a 16% positive outcome from working directly with honeybees.  It gave them a potential income source when they would be released.  This changed their position and circumstances. They learned that honeybees could generate revenue and a potential profit. They learned that potential income included: honey, leasing the bees for pollination of vegetables, breeding and selling the honeybees, construction of the beehive boxes, and by-products produced from the wax including lip balm, candles, and soap.

Conclusion:  Women and men who find themselves in undesirable circumstances can improve their situations.  Many are willing to be courageous, motivated, and have a desire to change their conditions. Within the Kentucky state and federal prison system, soon to be released inmates have begun thinking outside of the "Bee Box" as they attempt to improving their lives and fit into society.