Last night’s Good Sort has spent nearly 50 years working in the New Zealand prison system, with the past few decades being spent among the facilities’ gardens.
Bill Bean, 77, believes working the soil is an important part of rehabilitation.
Bean became a prison officer in 1979 after retiring from 12 years in the Navy, working his way up to divisional officer and eventually horticulture instructor.
“Our thing is to employ them, keep them busy and, at the end of the day, learning.”
None of the vegetables grown are kept, with Pāremoremo Prison supplying hundreds of kilos to foodbanks weekly.
One prisoner says the gardening gave them “a sense of purpose and something to care about”.
“He’s inspired me when I get outside to do my own veggies for my family and send the extra to the food banks.”
Another said it relieved pressure and stress on the body.
“Sometimes, you sit down somewhere quiet and talk things through.”
Bean is now retiring, saying it was time to say goodbye and move on.
“I like to think I came, I saw, I made a difference; so good luck to them all in their journey.”
