ABSTRACT
The application of horticultural therapy to prison and jail populations has received little evaluation. The results of baseline interviews with 57 San Francisco County jail inmates randomly assigned to a horticultural therapy program are presented. An ecological analysis of the inner city jail population identifies the relationship between job loss, family disintegration, and history of victimization. The role of trauma in precipitating self-fragmentation is explored with respect to the high incidence of drug abuse and illegal activities. The use of nature to promote healing and growth is discussed. The importance of empathic interventions by the horticultural therapist is noted.
