Henry Co. inmates serve community with produce giveaway

HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. — One local sheriff’s office is allowing those serving time to serve their communty, one vegetable at a time.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office hosted a free produce giveaway Monday morning. The produce comes from the inmate work gardens the sheriff’s office maintains.

“So far, we have given away squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers. We’ve got pumpkins that are stared now,” garden crew worker Anthony Brewer said.

Sheriff Monte Belew said they have around six inmates that work the garden depending on planting and harvest times, allowing the inmates an honest day’s work.

“So we think it’s a win-win situation — it gives the inmates something to do productive, one, and two, we give back to the community as well,” the sheriff said.

They set up in the middle of Paris on Monday, giving away bags of produce to anyone and everyone who came by.

Garden workers say they will give away around 1,000 pounds of tomatoes, bell peppers and jalapenos Monday, and they already have given away more than 10,000 pounds of food this summer.

“I see a lot more that the community needs help, everybody needs help, a lot of these people, they have no other way to get fresh produce than what we give out,” Brewer said.

Once garden season is over, the sheriff’s office will transition into processing deer meat that hunters donate to the office to give away this winter.