Horticulture at HMP La Moye (FOI)

​Request

A

Do the horticultural team at La Moye Prison (the prisoners) grow bedding plants (or any other kind of plants)?

B

If plants are grown, are they donated or sold for resale into local garden centres, other outlets or donated to certain charities? If sold to local garden centres, who retains the income?

C

Can members of the public buy these plants, if so, where and is it promoted anywhere to encourage purchase to support the prison?

D

If they do, how much income is made from these plants and reinvested back into the prison to help rehabilitation?

E

Do the horticultural team at La Moye Prison (the prisoners) grow vegetables that are sold to local shops?

F

How much money is made and reinvested from the sale of the furniture, such as picnic tables?

G

Where can your purchase these tables from?

Response

A

Yes. The area is primarily a training facility and is mainly used to grow vegetables and herbs for use in the prison kitchen but we also grow a limited amount of bedding, patio and hanging baskets plants, during the spring and early summer plus a selection of herbaceous perennials and hardy shrubs.

B

The ornamental plants are sold to one local garden centre, and certain landscape gardeners. These are companies that we have done business with for many years. Until 2020 we supplied Christmas Poinsettias to a local supermarket chain but we no longer grow that particular plant. All income goes to the Treasurer of the States and back into the Prison budget.

C

For security reasons we are unable to let members of the public into the prison work areas to purchase plants. We do have a stall in the prison carpark with an honesty box from which the public can purchase plants. The plants are not promoted as such because we only grow a limited amount of ornamental plants and the edible plants are consumed within the prison.

D

Income from the Plants for 2019, 2020 and 2021 to date is as follows:

The income from the plants was badly affected due to Covid-19 in 2020. It is emphasised that these figures are income figures and not profit. Cost of materials and the overheads associated with the running of the Prison should be taken into consideration. The savings made by growing the vegetables and herbs is calculated at the end of the year due to the fluctuating prices of seasonal vegetable and herbs.

E

No, the variety of vegetables and herbs that are grown in the area are grown as a result of discussions with the prison catering staff and are used on the premises. Staff can purchase vegetables, but we do not supply vegetables to any external agencies.

F

Income from the sale of woodcraft for 2019, 2020 and 2021 to date is:

Once again these are Income figures and the cost of materials and the overheads associated with the running of the Prison should be taken into consideration.

G

Alongside the plant stall in the prison carpark, there is a wood-craft stall where members of the public can purchase certain items. Like the plants there is an honesty box for people to deposit cash. There is also a room situated just inside the gate-lodge where the public can see and purchase other examples of the woodwork undertaken by prisoners. The larger items, such as the picnic tables are usually made to order.