Green-fingered inmates and staff from Maghaberry Prison are competing for the first time at the Garden Festival at Hillsborough Castle which takes place from June 6-8.

They have designed and constructed an imaginative “Garden of Release”, which reflects the journey faced by prisoners throughout their sentence.

Governor Fred Caulfield is hoping this new venture would help plant the seeds of rehabilitation for the prisoners involved.

“The vast majority of our work in Maghaberry is geared towards preparing prisoners for their eventual release into the community. This involves getting prisoners to come to terms with their offences and to teach them new skills which will help turn them away from a life of crime.

“The work in designing and creating a garden from scratch has helped to unlock their creativity, develop new skills, while at the same time reflecting on the challenges of prison life.”

The new garden depicts a typical journey through a prison sentence beginning with a wilder area to show the harsh realities of facing up to the early years in prison.

There is also a section with softer aromatic plants, which reflect the prisoner becoming used with prison life, progressing through the stages of rehabilitation towards life on the outside. Most of the plants have been grown from seed in Maghaberry.

A sun dial in the centre represents the passage of time, while a number of paths represent the different ways that prisoners can do their time. At the end of the garden are open gates and a painting of a sun-kissed beach symbolising freedom.

Throughout the garden there are many shapes and symbols familiar to those residing at Maghaberry, particularly the circles and bars, which are a constant reminder of prison life.

The gates and other garden furniture have been made by prisoners, while the prison’s Braille Unit has supplied signs to help visually impaired people identify flowers and plants within the garden.

Notes to Editors

For further information or interviews about the Maghaberry Garden, contact the NIPS Press Office on 02890 520938.

The Garden Festival is taking place at Hillsborough Castle from June 6-8. For more information contact Karen Williams on 02897 561993.

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