Photo by Nadine Batya

Less than five years ago, the state of Louisiana became nationally recognized for its leadership in reforming a broken juvenile justice system.  With the passage of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003 (Act 1225), then Governor Kathleen Blanco and the Louisiana Legislature ushered in a period of reform in which the notoriously brutal Tallulah prison for youth was shut down, conditions were improved in other abusive youth prisons throughout the state, and a commitment was made to both the increased use of alternatives to incarceration for youth and to revamping secure care prisons to be small, therapeutic facilities that were regionalized to keep children closer to their families.  Inspired by the state’s commitment to build a juvenile justice system based on best practices instead of brutality, national foundations such as Macarthur and Annie E. Casey partnered with stakeholders across Louisiana, investing both dollars and technical assistance to shaping a more just, and effective, juvenile justice system.  Before the passage of Act 1225, over two thousand children were held in prison in Louisiana.  Today the system holds just over 500 children state-wide.   In 1998 the rate of recidivism, or children returning to prison after release, was 56% as compared to 11% today.  This decrease in the number of children incarcerated has contributed to an increase in public safety. 

      With Governor Jindal newly appointed in office, and a new administration in the Office of Youth Development (OYD), it is imperative that the agenda of reform continue.  Governor Jindal must ensure the full implementation of Act 1225 and convey his commitment to reform.  OYD must continue its investment in community partnerships and invest in alternatives to secure care.  By doing so, Louisiana can continue to build a justice system that builds on the strengths of young people, rather than sentencing them to a cycle of brutality and abuse. 

      Undoubtedly, the road to effective reform is far from complete.  Despite an increase in investments into alternatives, there is not yet an effective continuum of sanctions for youth.  There is also a lack of quality, evidence-based alternatives – those that employ Functional Family Therapy (FFT) or Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST), identified by the National Institute of Health to be the only types of programs that are effective at reducing adolescent violence.  The population of youth in secure care is 60% non-violent – children who would be more appropriately served in effective alternatives.  The size of both Jetson and Swanson cuts against best practices of secure care, and while there are plans to spend money to expand more secure care beds, there is no plan to shut existing facilities.  In recent months the situation at Jetson in particular has been deteriorating, with reports of abuse, widespread fighting, and most recently, the tragic death of a child.  Just three weeks away from his release date, the death of this young man reveals more than anything the human cost of a juvenile justice system in need of further reform.

     The solution, for Governor Jindal, OYD, and for the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission – the government body responsible for overseeing Act 1225’s implementation – is to deepen Louisiana’s commitment to reform, and to quicken the pace of implementation.  Evidence shows us models that work to improve public safety and the lives of children, and states like Missouri have already led the way.  At the dawn of a new administration, Louisiana can also demonstrate its continued leadership.  An aging facility like Jetson, where parents fear for the safety of their children, belongs in the history of Louisiana’s broken juvenile justice system, not in the current path towards reform.  Governor Jindal and the Office of Youth Development must act as leaders in this reform, and finally deliver a better future for all of Louisiana’s children.