Port Lincoln Prison's Farm Fresh Approach to Reducing Reoffending

A 180-hectare farm in South Australia is helping to reduce reoffending rates by giving inmates a chance to work and gain skills in horticulture. The Port Lincoln Prison farm produces a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, which are sold to local retailers and used in the prison kitchen.

Prison to Plate Produce

For inmate Ryan, working in the Port Lincoln garden produce area is more than a temporary escape from the prison walls - it's a road to a better life. When he was incarcerated back in 2019, Ryan says he was "partially illiterate". Now, he has basic literacy and numeracy and has obtained a Certificate IV in Horticulture. He hopes to work in the industry when he's eventually released.

"For the first time I feel like I've got a bright future," he says.

The prison farm has been operating for six decades, with low-security inmates managing a commercial hydroponics set-up and five hectares of gardens to harvest fruit and vegetables. Today, 16 of the 178 prisoners in Port Lincoln are involved in the garden produce program, which is overseen and supervised by a correctional industry officer.

Reducing Recidivism

The prison's general manager, Paul Oldacre, said the produce cultivated is used in the prison kitchen, with the surplus sold off to local retailers. "We supply cafes, restaurants, hotels and we've done that for many years," he said.

"It's sustainable. It's cyclic, it just happens every year in and year out," Mr Oldacre said. "I see people on the program come out the other side and feel better within themselves. At the end they have the confidence to go out and gain employment."

South Australia has the country's lowest reoffending rates at 36.8 per cent, according to the Minister for the Department of Police and Correctional Services Michael Brown. The Department for Correctional Services Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 aims to reduce recidivism by 30 per cent in the next four years.

Supporting Local Businesses

The prison produce is also a hit with local restaurants, which appreciate the fresh and high-quality stock. Shana Badman, head chef at Port Lincoln restaurant Del Giornos, said the same-day delivery from the prison means they can offer their customers the best produce available.

"Most produce comes 650 kilometres from Adelaide Markets," she said. "You can't really find anything close to how nice and fresh and beautiful the produce is so close to home."

The restaurant's owner, Kris Bunder, said they have been using the prison produce for more than two decades and have never had any issues with customers over the food's prison origins.

The program is an important part of the department's broader approach to reducing recidivism, and the prison has already met the previous state government initiative of reducing recidivism by 20 per cent from 2020-2026.