Juvenile offenders pay their graveyard dues

If Bellview Cemetery near Sacramento County’s Rosemont neighborhood looks nicer than normal, it’s because of juvenile delinquency.

During five consecutive weekends spanning December 2013 to this past January, the Sacramento County Probation Department supervised a juvenile work team at the southeastern county graveyard. The team consisted of delinquent children assigned to community service for their infractions.

A county news release states the youthful offenders yanked weeds, dislodged old tree stumps, pruned bushes and spread more than 100 cubic yards of river rock during the restoration project, which was organized by the Cemetery Advisory Committee.

Each participant reportedly got $40 a day for their labor, but don’t get too excited. That money went back into a restitution fund to pay off any victims of their actions.

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