Hort Agent was contacted by the McCracken County Jail in the fall of 2017 about teaching a master gardener class to the local inmates.  Agent assured the sergeant of the sheriff’s department that work would begin on this request.  Agent contacted District Director and UK Master Gardener coordinator to ask the procedure.Agent learned that since inmates cannot work as volunteers and cannot pass background checks in accordance to the McCracken County Master Gardener program, an alternative name would be needed for the group. Agent gave careful thought and consulted with the MCEMG volunteers involved in the training.The idea was developed of “Apprentice Gardeners,” abbreviated as “A.G.,” for the participants. The nickname of “Aggies” was well-received by the participants.

Agent selected topics for a total of 10 classes to mimic the classes taught to Master Gardener interns.Permission to hand out a “Certificate of Completion” to the inmates who completed the course work was granted after a copy created by Agent was sent to UK Master Gardener Coordinator and the District Director. Participants understood that a final exam must be passed after attending the classes.Once all steps to success were in place, the training lasted from Nov 9, 2017 to Feb 1, 2018. Ten sessions were taught.Some classes had a lab experience under guidelines of McCracken County Jail practices. All materials intended for the inmates were given to the supervising staff of the Jail and they in turn handed the materials to the inmates. No items for the inmates were given directly to the participants by the Agent or the MCEMG volunteers as a safety measure for all involved.

Classes included:

Introduction to University of KY and KSU Cooperative Extension Service

Basic Botany

Plant ID

Plant Propagation*

Soils and Soil Fertility*

Lawn and Water Quality

Woody Plants and Proper Pruning Practices

Annuals and Perennials

Floral Design

Landscape Design*

*Agent asked for assistance from the McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG.) Two responded and helped by teaching about the classes, under supervision of Agent.

In the “Soils” class, inmates were allowed to go to the vegetable garden patch where they have grown vegetables for the Jail in summer of 2017. Agent and MCEMG volunteer explained the process of soil testing and inmates gathered soil to be tested. (Agent covered the cost of the three soil tests vias a personal, out-of-pocket expense as a resident’s donation to McCracken County.)

Soil test results were shown to the class and given to the sergeant of McCracken County Sheriff Department who was in charge of the Jail’s garden.  Amendments recommended by soil test were mostly on the usual recommendation of nitrogen addition. In one area zinc was unusually high and Agent will follow up on this from a UK/KSU specialists.

The class began with 19 in the group but the number reduced as inmates were released due to completion of their sentences. Seven of the 10 classes were attended by 6 inmates. At Christmas break, 4 more were released. Two African-American men did successfully attend all of the classes. Upon completion, the final exam was administered by Agent as an oral exam to accommodate various learning styles.  Exam process was successful with 100% passing. As a result, the two McCracken County Jail participants were awarded the, “Certificate of Completion for Apprentice Gardener.”

One of these inmates has a landscaping business and he stated that he is very proud indeed of the Certificate of Completion by McCracken County/UK Extension Service.He stated that he will hang the certificate up for customers to see when he returns to work after release from McCracken County Jail.  The second participant also stated satisfaction at learning so much about gardening.  He is scheduled to work at the Jail’s vegetable garden in the 2018 growing season. The sergeant who was working with this group expressed interest in repeating the training again with the next growing season.

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