Prison-grown flowers add beauty to Michigan's welcome centers

Horticulture programs at seven prisons in the MDOC grow flowers for some of the state's Welcome Centers.

Those centers, which greet motorists as they come into the state, are at Port Huron, St. Ignance, Mackinaw City, Sault Ste. Marie, New Buffalo, Marquette, Clare, Dundee and Monroe.

At right, flowers at the Dundee Welcome Center were grown in the horticulture program at Parnall Correctional Facility. Instructor is Jim Dodge.

Other prisons providing plants for centers are: the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility, the Chippewa Correctional Facility, Kinross Correctional Facility, Lakeland Correctional Facility, Marquette Branch Prison and Mid-Michigan Correctional Facility.

Michigan Department of Corrections . . . August 1, 2002