Nan’s Ranch grand opening, where LCSO inmates learn to better themselves through animal care

A labor of love benefiting both inmates and the community. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office held the grand opening for Nan’s Ranch.

It’s a place where inmates can become better people and the legacy of the sheriff’s grandmother lives on.

Nan’s Ranch is close to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno‘s heart. The ranch is named in honor of his late grandmother Nan, and he hopes it helps inmates learn to better themselves through working with the animals.

“I’m so happy. The feeling of joy filling your heart, watching children interact with animals, making certain that we take care of the animals and also, you know, the inmates come out and they get to work in a beautiful day with the animals and they’re learning,” said Marceno.

Marceno opened the ranch to the public on Thursday and kids from Alva schools came out of the private opening.

WINK News asked Pyeton Watkins, one of the kids attending the opening, what his favorite animal is at the ranch.

“The cows, cows because I show cows back at home,” said Watkins.

They learned that the purpose behind Nan’s Ranch is to benefit inmates and the community.

“It’s a good idea. Get them out in the open a little bit. Get to see all the stuff that you can’t really see and see yourself as animals,” said Watkins.

Nan’s Ranch brings inmates from the Lee County Jail to take care of the animals and learn skills that might assist them with employment opportunities. Some of the skills they will learn at Nan’s Ranch include carpentry, landscaping and ranch hand skills.

“They do an amazing job. They love it out here. You will see they fight for us to go back, ‘Please don’t take us back yet. Please don’t, we love it out here.’ So the end result… it’s an inmate program. We teach them simple basic things and care for the animals,” said first-class deputy Angela Taylor, who is assisting at Nan’s Ranch while working for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

“I want people to understand most importantly, that we have to protect those that have no voice, the animals, elderly children, it’s always about growing and learning and Lee County’s leading the way,” said Marceno.

The animals at Nan’s Ranch come from donations and rescues, while others were bought. Only non-violent offender inmates are allowed to work with the animals.