The Memorial Healing Garden (MHG) served as an inspiration to me as early as spring of 2019 when I first began looking into the field of landscape architecture. Through networking my way into an internship at Kurisu LLC, I was able to gain an invitation to study the garden on the behalf of numerous stakeholders at the Oregon State Penitentiary. It seemed that everyone was curious to know: does a garden like the MHG really benefit Adults in Custody (AIC) and prison operations more so than the typical prison green space? 

After a long journey thawing communication lines across several institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic and a rigorous IRB process, my thesis on the MHG was completed in December 2023. It is my hope that the insights found in its contents serve the Transformative Justice movement and move landscape architects and designers to engage with the carceral environment.