Planting Justice

Founded in 2009, Planting Justice’s mission is to empower people impacted by mass incarceration and other social inequities with the skills and resources to cultivate food sovereignty, economic justice, and community healing. PJ generates a significant portion of its $5 million/yr+ operating income to support 50 full-time staff members, including 30 formerly incarcerated people, with full-time living-wage jobs in urban farming, urban forestry, tree nursery production/management, ecological landscaping, community education, and peer mentorship that position them as change makers in their communities.

Both the current East Oakland Nursery and future Aquaponics Farm & Training Center employ many formerly incarcerated people–many of whom live in the surrounding Sobrante Park neighborhood. The Aquaponics Farm & Training Center will be the main site of our 6-month Urban Agriculture workforce development program, which will offer paid training in aquaponic farming, nursery operations, orchard / urban forestry management, and culinary skills. The program will prioritize formerly incarcerated women and single mothers, especially those from the neighboring Deep East Oakland communities, and will provide case management and training in both English and Spanish.

PJ’s holistic re-entry program for formerly incarcerated individuals–in collaboration with 5 community-based organizations–provides wrap-around social services, employment certification courses, environmentally-related restorative justice healing circles, legal and housing services, and green jobs training and placement in food justice and sustainable agriculture initiatives. PJ’s Reentry Coordinator, herself hired by PJ while she was incarcerated, works with women inside prisons and jails, providing resources and support as they transition back to the community and full-time employment.