Culture

A Community Garden Became an Alternative to Juvenile Detention

A small green space in Queens helps court-involved youths turn their lives around.
The 50 Cent Community Garden in Jamaica, Queens.New York Restoration Project

The first time Tatiana visited the Curtis “50 Cent” Community Garden in Jamaica, Queens, she didn’t want to touch the dirt.

“It was scary,” she says. “I just had to stick my hand in real quick and get it over with.”