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Sage Kiernan-Sherrow<\/strong> | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPunishment doesn\u2019t work \u2026 we need to find an alternative way to rehabilitate offenders,\u201d said criminal justice professor, Miyuki Arimoto, during her talk, \u201cTransformative Justice: Diminishing Boundaries through the Healing Garden Project at the Oregon State Penitentiary,\u201d held on Nov. 13. The Healing Garden Project began five years ago as a grassroots effort combined with an inmate-led initiative centered around the idea of a \u201ckoi pond\u201d being indoctrinated into the prison environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPrison is a boring, monotonous place,\u201d stated Arimoto, \u201c(the inmates) thought that nature might help to reduce altercations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Over time, the idea of creating a fully functional Japanese-style garden was formed. Inmates wrote grants and the project developed collective advocacy, resulting in approximately $500,000 being raised. Renowned Japanese garden designer, Hoichi Kurisu, donated his design and equipment to the project. He even advocated for inmate involvement in construction, saying that \u201cthis is (part of) the necessary process of healing,\u201d according to Arimoto.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Amassing a total of 13,000 square feet, the garden is only the second in the nation to exist within prison walls \u2014 the first being in Maryland \u2014 and 180 inmates spent over 12,000 hours developing it.<\/span><\/p>\n In a video shown during the presentation, an inmate named Johnny Cofer stated, \u201cthere was so much more at stake than just building something aesthetic; there was potential for building a space that could make a really impactful difference on the lives of people that live here \u2026 I can remember that the best times in my life were spent out in nature \u2026 this place \u2026 will be transformative.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Professor Arimoto recalled a similar testimony, where one inmate she described as \u201cmacho\u201d broke down after thanking her and telling her that he could not stop touching the trees and smelling the earth, after not having been able to for the past 40 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPast research suggests that exposure to nature improves certain conditions such as depression, anxiety and Alzheimers \u2026 the recovery process becomes faster,\u201d Arimoto recounted.<\/span><\/p>\n Arimoto is a member of a team conducting an impact study on the effects of the healing garden on inmates and staff. Using both qualitative and quantitative research over the course of two years, Arimoto hopes to analyze not only psychological effects but also the effects of a transformative justice system. Arimoto defines transformative justice as an expansion to traditional restorative justice, which \u201crecognizes the potential for human growth \u2026 and provides (inmates) with an opportunity to make amends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are paying back society by transforming themselves for the better,\u201d said Arimoto.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Arimoto also admits that there have been some criticisms about the project, citing complaints about using the money for a garden rather than using it to help transition inmates back into society and fears of violence within the garden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Arimoto combated these fears, saying the garden will help \u201cto create nice neighbors instead of angry neighbors,\u201d and will assure that inmates must go through a strict screening process to be able to utilize the garden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2019\/11\/garden1-color-1024x766.jpg\")
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