Beauty Found in the Most Unlikely Place: The Green Space Project

Near San Diego, Richard J Donovan Correctional Center sits next to the Otay Mountain Reserve. The grey prison buildings blend in well with their arid surroundings. However, in 2018, there was an idea to bring beauty to an area of RJ Donovan.

This idea is called The Green Space Project, and it was created by incarcerated men at RJ Donovan serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. Green Space will transform Echo Yard— one of the main areas in the prison— into what one pictures when thinking of a college quad. Instead of only seeing grey concrete, those incarcerated at RJ Donovan will enjoy grass, trees, and a colorful mural. While the mural started a couple of years ago, the rest of the project will start in 2025.

I talked to Gabe Rosales, someone who has supported Green Space from the beginning, about the various aspects of the plan. When asked about the significance of planting grass and trees, Rosales mentioned that the first thing many people do when they step outside prison walls is simply touch a tree. Incarcerated individuals are deprived of the scent of cedar or the rough texture of bark on their fingertips. Green Space will provide those who are visiting Echo Yard the chance to have those types of experiences.

Along with the opportunity to interact with the nature around them, incarcerated individuals at Echo Yard will have the chance to enjoy meditation spaces, be a part of healing circles, study, and participate in recreational activities. Not only will the grass and tree provide color, but it will provide a sense of being part of a community.

Interwoven between the grass and trees will be paved sidewalks. To those looking from outside prison walls, adding paved sidewalks may seem like a minor detail. However, Rosales explained that many inmates who use wheelchairs to travel throughout Echo Yard find it difficult. This is due to the loose rocks that make up most of Echo Yard. The paved sidewalks will allow those traveling with wheelchairs to get around the yard much easier, thus amplifying the experience of connection and community for all.

Behind the blueprint of this new landscape is incarcerated individual Lyle Menendez, the chairman of the project, and his team. Rosales complimented Menendez’s ability to find space for all of the new trees and sidewalks. Along with the addition of greenery, fountains and sports courts will also be placed in Echo Yard.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Green Space Project is the large mural that will eventually surround the grass, trees, and paved sidewalks in Echo Yard. The completed parts of the mural attract a lot of attention; many news cameras have captured the paintings of skies, landscapes, and cherry trees.

The artists of the mural are residents who are at RJ Donovan. Some of the lead muralists that Rosales mentioned include Erik Menendez, Robert Beckett, Dave Armstrong, Joel Abreu, and Matt Brown. Rosales explained that once the mural is completed, it will be the largest mural at any prison in the world.

Not only do the men who created Green Space believe in the vision of beauty and hope that this project brings, but so do surrounding community members. Not one taxpayer dollar has contributed to Green Space. Many organizations, such as Guide Dogs of America, City Fabrick, Cal Supply Company, Encore Paint, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have donated in support of the project. Rosales also mentioned Dr. Chandrika Kelso, the founder of Helping Without Prejudice, as another sponsor. Rosales explained that Dr. Kelso is integral in helping bring The Green Space Project to fruition.

Rosales himself is one of the main outside sponsors of Green Space. Like it was previously mentioned, Rosales believes deeply in this project. He is familiar with the barren look of prison walls; Rosales was incarcerated during a very tumultuous time within the California Prison System.

Since his release, Rosales has impacted the lives of incarcerated individuals by bringing the arts to RJ Donovan. He teaches music classes at the prison through the organization Jail Guitar Doors. In addition, Rosales helps the Green Space Project by donating the paint used for the murals painted in Echo Yard.

Beauty, life, and color will not be the only thing brought to Echo Yard. The project founders believe that hope and rehabilitation will also make their way into the lives of those who see the new and improved grounds. Hopefully similar projects to that of Green Space will find their way to other prison communities around the country.

The Green Space Project would still love your help! Please donate using the link down below!
https://hwop.org/

Special Thanks to Warden James Hill, Chief Deputy Warden Mathew Palmer, and Associate Warden Allan May
Tony Blevins (GDA), Nicole Maples (GDA), and GDA President Russ Gittlen
RTB Sponsor Gabe J Rosales and Dr. Chandrika Kelso
PIO LT. Adam Garvey, Coach Torres, Coach Anguiano-Vega, and Captain Rutledge
City Fabrick CEO Brian Ulaszewski and CalState Supply Co. CEO Joe Long,