(BOP) – Inmates at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Yankton, South Dakota help maintain institution grounds while earning credits toward an Associate's Degree in Horticulture. Through the Yankton City Library Seed Project, inmates beautify the institution (which is located in a residential neighborhood in the City of Yankton), and also create flower basket arrangements that decorate downtown Yankton.
In June 2015, the local library began providing free seeds to the community (including FPC Yankton and the South Dakota Department of Corrections) to promote vegetable and flower gardening and to encourage residents of all ages to garden. FPC Yankton inmates participate in the Library Seed Project and also support the project by processing, drying and packaging the seeds from the flowers and vegetables they grow at the prison. The seed packages are then provided to the Yankton City Library to make available, free of charge, for anyone in the community to try gardening.