The Lake County Juvenile Court partners with the Lake County Master Gardeners Association to have a Garden Program in the Juvenile Detention Center.
It is one of many programs that aims to support rehabilitation while holding juveniles accountable for their offenses.
And recently, six vegetables from the program were entered into the 2025 Lake County Fair with five of those vegetables earning a First Place Ribbon and one finishing with a Third Place Ribbon, according to a news release from the court.
Garlic, green beans (Sybaris), Swiss Chard, scallions and thyme earned the top prize while green beans (Top Crop) earned a third place ribbon.
“We are very fortunate to have a partnership with the Lake County Master Gardeners,” Judge Michael DeLeone said. “We offer a surplus of education and treatment opportunities to our juveniles who are incarcerated. However, the life lesson of learning to grow your own produce is as valuable as anything we offer.
“More importantly, the success of being recognized is tremendous validation for our juveniles teaching them that hard work and planning leads to success,” DeLeone added. “This is an integral lesson for rehabilitation.”
The Garden Program usually begins in April to prep the garden. Consistent gardening starts in May and occurs weekly through the beginning of September.
Every Tuesday, volunteers from the Master Gardeners Association come to work side by side with the juveniles in the garden.
The group is credited as a Life Skills Class to ensure juveniles can get academic credit for the work. Gardening tasks include but are not limited to weeding, planting and harvesting. Education is also provided regarding the plants, their life process and benefits of planting their own garden.
According to the release, most of the produce picked from the Detention Center Garden is used as part of healthy daily meals for the juveniles incarcerated. Also, the surplus is donated to the Salvation Army. In 2024 the Juvenile Court Detention Center grew over 482 pounds of produce.