In Australia, a newspaper investigation has revealed that drug criminals are being taught the finer points of horticulture while serving time for drug crimes.

As part of the rehabilitation program to help drug criminal reintegrate into society, prisoners are often offered tertiary education courses from the country’s Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE) facilities.

One of the TAFE training modules on offer is a certificate in horticulture, which the paper alleges allows the prisoners to recommence their life of drug crime once released, but with additional skills allowing them to hone their methods.

Also on offer is a certificate in forestry (presumably for really big scale pot growers?) as well as various courses which teach students woodworking and brick laying.

The obvious intent of the newspaper is to imply that the educational courses are promoting skills for a criminal life rather than rehabilitating the criminals and encouraging them to part from their life of drugs. There are lots of references to hard criminals such as murderers and rapists and it is quite slanted in its writing.

What it misses completely however, is to mention the success of education programs in the detention system that actually improve the personal situations of criminals and do allow them to pursue alternate activities once released.

In all, a disappointing read.