Growing grace

I’m not proud to admit that my teenage years were troubled. I was a lost kid. In the absence of adult authority figures, I sought solace in a crowd that was equally unstable. Some of those guys did time. But I was lucky. My family moved to Alaska when I was 16 years old, and things got better. I’ve stayed on the right side of the law since. Now, nearly 50, I have a good life with a wife and two kids. I’m an attentive parent, active in my community and I love my work, which feels important and fulfilling.

But I think about the guys I came up with sometimes. Not one of them was capital-B bad. They were all just struggling, lacking support and guidance. They made mistakes I’m sure they regret. And though I haven’t heard from any of them in many decades, I hope and pray that they came through alright.

The odds that their outcomes have been positive aren’t that great. That much is apparent in some of the startling facts you’ll find in this month’s cover story about formerly incarcerated persons. Consider that 1 in 3 adults in America has a criminal record, and more than half a million people are released from incarceration every year. Now consider the fact that nearly three-quarters of those individuals remain jobless a year after their release. Is it any wonder the recidivism rates remain astronomical? Not in my mind.

The statistics are grim. But our cover story is about hope. It’s also about grace. Some formerly incarcerated people are finding incredible opportunities in the horticultural industry. And not only are they finding a way free from the burden of difficult pasts, but some of them are also thriving.

Plants can heal. That’s often what we tell the consumers who ultimately bring your goods to their gardens. We should also consider that the greenhouse can heal, too, and we have an opportunity to extend grace to those who could benefit from green work.

How much growth and learning could come from figuring out how to accurately measure substrate pH? Is it possible that today’s formerly incarcerated person could become tomorrow’s horticultural expert answering questions in our Ask the Experts supplement? I think so. I hope you do, too.

Formerly incarcerated persons could use a break. It’s better for them, and, in the end, it’s better for our society as a whole.

Here’s to growing grace and an industry that can heal.