SUFFOLK SHERIFF, NORTHWELL PARTNER FOR EDUCATIONAL TREE PLANTING PROGRAM FOR INCARERATED INDIVDUALS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2024          

SUFFOLK SHERIFF, NORTHWELL PARTNER FOR EDUCATIONAL TREE PLANTING PROGRAM FOR INCARERATED INDIVDUALS

(Yaphank, NY): Suffolk Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.  recently partnered with Northwell Health to support the Sheriff’s Office’s educational and vocational programing efforts with a new initiative to educate about horticulture and how to plant and care for trees.

For the first round of this initiative, Northwell Health donated a dozen trees to the Sheriff’s Office through their “Trees for Babies” program in which they plant or provide a tree for each child born at a Northwell facility. Planting trees has been proven to help mitigate climate change, boosts people’s immune systems, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve mood. Trees also help remove air pollutants from the atmosphere.

“Any opportunity for our incarcerated individuals to learn marketable skills better prepares them to renter our communities.  Thank you to Northwell Health and our other partners for donating trees, supplies, and their time to establish this educational tree planting program.  In addition to the vocational benefits, the trees placed around the facility will benefit both the incarcerated individuals and correctional facility staff for years to come,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.

“Northwell’s Trees for Babies program plants a tree for each of the 30,000 babies born each year in our hospitals. When we started this program, our idea was simple – just as every child born represents new life, so does every tree that’s planted. We are honored to partner with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office on this donation, which not only benefits the environment, but also provides incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the community. At Northwell, we believe in the power of collaboration to strengthen both individual lives and the well-being of our communities. Initiatives like these exemplify our commitment to sustainable, innovative solutions that create a positive, lasting impact,” said Donna Drummond, SVP, Chief Sustainability Officer & Chief Expense Officer, Northwell Health. 

A total of seven incarcerated individuals participated in the program which began with an educational course taught by the Sheriff’s Office Learning Center Staff in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Over four weeks, they were taught the biology and life cycle of trees, value of community beautification through tree planting as well as career opportunities in the treescape and landscaping industries. Once complete, the incarcerated individuals worked under the instruction of Special Operations programing staff, conducting site preparation and tree planting. In addition, Long Island Compost donated five yards of compost which was used to amend soil planting locations and placed around tree trunks and Cornell Cooperative Extension assisted with site and tree selection. Finally, the Sheriff’s Transition and Reentry Team and the Suffolk County Department of Labor were notified of the individuals who completed the program for consideration while conducting job search efforts. Each participant received a certificate of completion.

For more information about the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office please visit www.suffolksheriff.com.

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