Abstract

The United States prison system and food system are both expansive and connected through shared histories of racial capitalism and human and environmental exploitation. This article reports on a qualitative case study of a sustainable food systems course taught in a Southern prison in which incarcerated students engage in gardening and food systems work. The study explores the potential for incarcerated individuals to contribute to food justice efforts, even within the constraints of the prison environment and despite their exclusion from formal democratic processes. The findings highlight challenges and tensions within the prison garden, including racial dynamics and administrative interference, which mirror challenges within the broader food system. The research suggests that while prison gardens and food systems education programs may benefit incarcerated individuals, universal food justice cannot be achieved without dismantling the underlying systems of oppression that make the prison industrial complex possible.