Cultivating justice and belonging

Led by formerly incarcerated and system-impacted people, Land Together partners with people in prison and returning home to nurture deep connections to nature, self, and community.

How we work

Healing-Centered
Prison
Garden Programs

Holistic Reentry Support &
Community Building

Collaborative Systems Change Efforts

Land Together by the Numbers

Land Together began as a single garden program at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in 2002.

Today, we have 12 garden programs in 9 prisons in Southern, Central and Northern California and reentry participants in 14 counties.

  • Thank you for making the program a magical experience. It gives men like me the opportunity to grow away from our comfort zone & face those uncomfortable situations from our past. I myself have been laying dormant until it was the right season to come forth & begin my cycle to expand my network. I thank all of you for being part of my growth & my support. Keep up the great work. Let your best be better is now part of my life's mantra.

    Rudy, ASP

  • I now look at life in a whole new way. I now ask what can I do. I see how I am a lot like a plant, a lot of similarities. I love this class. I value nature so much more now. I see the damage humans are doing to our home and I’d like to do something about it. I want to grow and eat my own veggies. I have ‘new eyes’ to the world around me. I want to pass on what I have learned to others.

    Shannon, CCWF

  • I wish you could just spread this all to the world! You would transform it all like you do everyone in prison with all you do!

    Amber, CIW

  • I love this program! I never took timeout to stop and smell the roses literally. I now see the beauty in places that before I would always overlook. Last time Arnold was here he brought a lot of new plants, I planted some green onions & blue spruce. Every week I go and check if they are ready for picking. Not quite yet however the whole process is beautiful and I love sharing my new found hobby with others. I truly feel blessed to be a part of this program.

    Jose, ASP

  • Earthworms and hummingbirds play in the garden, cultivating the soil which healthy fruits and vegetables will eventually rise through. Finally, a place of peace and a taste of a sweet strawberry that was formed by nature. The same way a mother and father cares for their children in ways that will allow a positive and healthy growth, my heart is now a garden, and the fruits of my harvest come in the form of healthy relations, amends to my victims and living the rest of my life non-violent, cultivating mindfulness and exercising emotional intelligence.

    Jeff, MCSP

  • Being out in the garden brings back memories of my childhood. It’s a bit of freedom. All the constraints and stressors of the routine here are gone. It’s fun to get our hands in the dirt, smell the flowers, hear the buzzing of a bee. That’s something that we all need to thrive, and to feel alive.

    Azrael, SCRC

  • Thank you for treating me with the dignity and respect that all humans of the world should have. I am one who takes responsibility for my wrongs I committed at 19 years old. I am responsible. I did experience lots, I mean lots of childhood trauma but I am responsible and I have understanding in why I did the things I did and why I feel the way I feel. It is because programs like IGP support me to find my true self. My essential self of love, compassion, gratitude, kindness and love.

    Kenton, SOL

  • I love IGP. When you are in prison they treat you like a number. When I was in IGP, I felt like a human again. I could talk about the things I care about, the things that make me happy or sad. I never felt like “I am an inmate and you are staff”. I always had a feeling like we were the same and staff are there to support us. I remember when I was inside and I got the letter from Jamala explaining what to expect when I get out and all the support that IGP offers. Jamala said ‘When you are in IGP we got you’. This really gave me hope that someone would be there for me and help me when I got out. And it was true. IGP is always there for me, checking up on me and supporting me. One thing I think people inside really need is hope. IGP’s staff gave me hope when I was inside and this made me want to give that hope and support to other people.

    Anthony, Graduate

  • I’ve learned in this program that we are all really connected; the minerals that are in the soil are the same minerals that are in us. It’s a relationship between us and the plants. We need each other to be able to survive.

    Darrel, SQRC