JUVENILE OFFENDERS CULTIVATE FLOWERS AND CLEAR BRUSH
AT MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS

A group of 20 juvenile offenders are helping to maintain the grounds of the Horticulture Center at Elm Bank in Dover as part of the Massachusetts Trial Court Community Service Program. Elm Bank is the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

The Community Service Program is managed by the Office of Community Corrections which falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Commissioner of Probation.

Twice a week, the young men from the Suffolk Juvenile Resource Center, ages 13 to 16, participate in landscaping projects such as edging, weed removal, and clearing brush. Last week, the young men cleared out a mosquito infestation. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is responsible for maintaining and grooming 36 acres of the 184-acre property. Daylillies, roses, rhododendren, and herbs are among the many varieties of flowers and plants featured at Elm Bank.

There is also an educational component of the project during which the boys learn about planting and cultivation. The boys are also introduced to the various species of flowers grown at Elm Bank, which serves as one of only 16 Trial and Display gardens in the country. A Trial and Display Garden is where seed companies send seed samples to be grown and tested to determine the best conditions in which they grow. The young boys have planted a total of 20,000 plants and flowers since the Community Service Program began 12 weeks ago. A group of adult offenders from the Dedham District Court also help maintain the grounds.

"This is a perfect job for juveniles. They get to see a week by week process of the plants that they have planted grow," said Kevin Duggan, Statewide Supervisor of the Massachusetts Trial Court Community Service Program. "It is a great opportunity for the kids. They are exposed to something that they have not been exposed to on a regular basis."

The young men said they enjoy the work they do at Elm Bank.

“This is a good program. I'm making a man out of myself and I am helping the community," said 16-year-old Steve.

"I'd rather be here, outside, than staying in the building in the summer," said another youth who did not want to be identified.

Added 16-year-old Robert, "This is giving us a second chance. If I weren’t in the program, I might be in jail. It feels like we are accomplishing something here."

The young men are not the only ones who benefit from the experience. Clark Bryan, Operations Director for Elm Bank, said the work the juveniles complete helps to bridge a gap created by budget shortages.

"Funds are very low. Therefore, we depend on the goodwill of agencies. We match their (juvenile offenders) skills to the work we do and it has worked out well," said Clark Bryan, Operations Director for Elm Bank.

Bryan continued, "Most of them are not bad kids. We want to help steer them in the right direction and help them learn that they can get better things out of life through hard work."