JJC provides landscaping services for State House
- Juveniles learn valuable skills while beautifying Complex -

TRENTON - Instead of hiring a landscape company, juveniles from the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission's (JJC) Edison Prep Residential Community Home (RCH) have taken on the landscaping responsibilities at the State House Complex.

On Wednesday, July 23, residents will be available to be photographed and interviewed while performing landscaping duties. Reporters and photographers are asked to meet at the State House steps promptly at 1:00 p.m.

Several JJC facilities offer horticulture programs to youth who have been placed with the JJC by the Family Court System. Under the guidance of a skilled horticulturist, juveniles are taught to grow may plants from seed, propagate, care for, and transplant plants of all types. The juveniles also learn the basics of landscape design.

"The Juvenile Justice Commission is pleased to provide this service to our fellow state agencies," stated Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission. "We all benefit from this venture. Our juveniles gain valuable experience that can help them gain employment upon their return the community, the State reduces costs, and visitors to the State House Complex can enjoy the beautiful landscaping."

As part of the facility's horticulture program, approximately six residents tend the flower beds at the State House on a weekly basis. The flowers and plants are provided by the Joint Management Commission. This project is an expansion of a program started last fall where residents of JJC facilities took over the responsibility of filling the security planters at the Hughes Justice Complex. Combined, these programs have saved the State a total of $4560.00 for the months of May and June. The JJC has also been asked to provide poinsettias to decorate the Governor's Office instead of having them purchased from a florist during the Christmas season.

Edison Prep Residential Community Home is located in Trenton. Residents have been placed with the Juvenile Justice Commission by the family court system. The JJC operates 16 residential community centers throughout the state which typically deal with lower level offenders or those juveniles preparing to return to their communities at the completion of their sentences. Juveniles are supervised by trained staff at all times. Juveniles who commit more violent crimes are sentenced to JJC secure institutions and are not eligible to participate in this program.

For more information on the JJC, please visit www.njjjc.com