JJPL

Nonprofits learn from each other

CharlotteDOoge — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:20 +0000

Technical skills are useful, but strategy and critical thinking are what determine success. This is exactly the idea that spawned the first-ever Nonprofit Strategy Institute, presented by the Tulane Center for Public Service (CPS).

Since September, 14 CPS community partners have met monthly to tackle important issues, asking not just “How?” but “Why?”

The Nonprofit Strategy Institute provides critical analysis skills to current and emerging nonprofit leaders to strengthen management of their organizations, including defining a mission, gathering financial support and determining future outcomes. The institute helps to initiate peer relationships within the nonprofit community to promote networking and collaboration. It also establishes Tulane as a partner and resource for the organizations.

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If Orleans Parish Prison is smaller, inmates may scatter

CharlotteDOoge — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:43 +0000

If Orleans Parish Prison is capped at 1,438 beds, down from the current 3,500, where will the extra inmates go? With changes in pretrial detention policies, some will likely be awaiting their court dates at home instead of stuck behind bars. Advocates for a smaller jail also hope that the hundreds of convicted criminals serving time at OPP will be shipped to state prisons, where they can receive job training and other programs not available at local prisons.

But the state system, already full to capacity, cannot absorb an influx from New Orleans. Any overflow inmates will be shipped to rural sheriffs hundreds of miles from home, where they will help finance law enforcement and enrich private investors. Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman has been engaged in a long-running battle with criminal-justice activists over the size of the new prison being built with FEMA dollars after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the existing facility.

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Backsliding at the Bridge City Center for Youth: An editorial

CharlotteDOoge — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:13 +0000

Bridge City Center for Youth was Louisiana’s model detention facility after the state reformed its deeply dysfunctional juvenile justice system nearly a decade ago. But increased fights among youth at the center and other problems cited in a Times-Picayune investigation by reporter Laura Maggi are worrisome signs of backsliding.

Former workers at Bridge City describe thin staffing levels that left them alone with groups of 12 to 14 offenders much of the time. Reports show that Louisiana had higher numbers of assaults at its secure facilities than other states.

And those who deal with the system, including the chief judge at Jefferson Parish juvenile court, see evidence of regression.

“We have really gone backwards,” Judge Andrea Price Janzen said. “We are not implementing the Missouri model right now.”

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Construction of Juvenile Justice Center Set for August

CharlotteDOoge — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:15 +0000

The new $35 million campus that is replacing the maligned Youth Service Center will include 40 beds, six juvenile courtrooms and offices for the district attorney, public defenders, the clerk of court and the New Orleans Police Department’s juvenile bureau.

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Community programs to help juvenile deliquents are lacking, some say

CharlotteDOoge — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:08:53 +0000

As the number of kids in Louisiana’s secure youth institutions fell during the past decade, advocates hoped the resulting savings would be channeled into programs that help juvenile delinquents stay on the right path. Instead, the savings have simply been banked by the state in recent years, according to Dana Kaplan, director of the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana.

That leaves Kaplan to wonder whether there are fewer community-based programs for troubled teens than there were in the days when more youths were being locked up.

“There absolutely are fewer of the alternatives,” Kaplan said, adding that she sees a need for more mentoring and day-treatment programs, as well as “re-entry” programs that help youths coming out of secure institutions.

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Bridge City youth center, once a model correctional facility, is far from it now

CharlotteDOoge — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:00:43 +0000

On a hot day in July 2005, state officials proudly unveiled a redesigned dormitory at the Bridge City Center for Youth, touting it as a milestone in the long effort to change one of the most dysfunctional and dangerous youth correctional systems in the country. Instead of the prison-like conditions that had prevailed, the new dorm featured homey curtains and sofas. The young men who lived there would sleep on wooden bunk beds covered in plaid bedspreads.

The decorative changes were supposed to reflect a deeper philosophical shift: a full-throated embrace of the idea that teenage criminals are redeemable. In these new surroundings, young offenders would be expected to engage in a transformative group therapy process that originated in Missouri, considered the leader in innovative programs for juvenile delinquents.

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YASS Operation: “Re Claim Our Parks Day”: Saturday, April 28, 2012

CharlotteDOoge — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:22:25 +0000

Legislation Passes LA State Senate to End Life Without Parole for Non-homicides

CharlotteDOoge — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:05:11 +0000

Senate Bill 317, introduced by Senator Danny Martiny, addresses the unconstitutional sentencing of juveniles for non-homicide offenses to life without parole. In 2010, the Supreme Court in Graham v. Florida made clear the unconstitutionality in sentencing a juvenile (under age 18) to life without parole for non-homicide offenses. In November of 2011, the Louisiana Supreme Court followed by ruling in State v. Shaffer that juvenile life sentences for non-homicide offenses are unconstitutional and that those offenders currently serving life without parole for non-homicide offenses committed when they were under 18 should have their sentences amended to include the possibility of parole after serving 20 years and reaching age 45. Immediately following, the Louisiana Law Institute provided that in order to become Graham compliant, the state of Louisiana would need to at least offer parole eligibility to juvenile offenders serving life without parole for non-homicide offenses after they served 20 years and reached age 45.

Senate Bill 317 was introduced in response to the aforementioned Court rulings and recommendations. This bill, when originally introduced, offered parole eligibility after a juvenile had served 20 years and reached aged 45. Additionally, the bill mandated that a three person parole board shall decide whether or not to release the offender by majority vote with specific findings of fact in support of its decision. Under the bill, the board shall consider the offender’s risk assessment instrument, a written evaluation from expert in adolescent brain development and behavior, and any other relevant evidence when making the decision to grant parole.

Senate Bill 317 was heard in Committee (Judiciary B) on April 10^th, where it passed, but was amended to allow juvenile offenders parole eligibility after serving 25 years and after reaching age 45. The bill then went to the Senate floor where it was voted on and passed, 35 to 1. The bill was moved to the House of Representatives and will be heard in Committee (Administration and Criminal Justice Committee) on May 2, 2012. JJPL will continue our hard work to see this critical legislation advance through the House of Representatives, and invites all of our partners to join us in Baton Rouge on that day. For more information on how to join JJPL and Citizens for Second Chances in our Day of Action, contact Ethan Ashley at eashley@jjpl.org.

“YOUTH (NITED) WE STAND!”

CharlotteDOoge — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:04:00 +0000

On Saturday, March 24^th 2012, youth from around the city of New Orleans came together for the first ever Power of a Million Minds (POMM) Youth Summit at Dillard University.

POMM is a youth led, youth organized, and youth run collaborative comprised of five youth serving organizations in the city of New Orleans. The youth come from all over the city including the African American, Latino, and Vietnamese American communities. Our five groups include Fyre Youth Squad (FYS), The LatiNola Youth Leadership Council (LYLC), Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools (Rethink), Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA), and Young Adults Striving for Success (YASS).

These five youth groups have been working together for over three years to build cross-cultural relationships and increase diversity in dialogue on critical issues that our young people are facing in New Orleans including issues of equity in education, employment, juvenile justice, and advocating for more youth voices and community involvement.

The goals of the collaborative are to problem solve issues that impact youth in our community, improve the quality of the educational system in New Orleans, create and sustain local youth organizers, and create positive working relationships between organizations and residents.

POMM hosted its first Youth Summit for middle school youth to college age participants; over 100 youth came together for a full day of consensus building, workshops, and live entertainment. The goal of the summit’s theme, “YOUTH(NITED) WE STAND!” was to allow dialogue between the different communities of youth, identify the key issues that are plaguing our city, and identify the possible solutions to these issues. The general assembly provided a space for youth to identify the problems they face and the solutions to those problems. Youth participated in “harvesting the genius from within themselves.”

Common problems identified included the need for better schools, more big sister/big brother programs, drug dealers in neighborhoods, lack of access to text books, lack of practical sex education classes, the need for better teachers, additional youth programs, innocent children being killed, boys don’t have anywhere to go for recreation and socializing, a lack of role models, the need for more playgrounds, recreational centers need to be repaired, the lack of vocational programs, trash in the neighborhoods, no jobs for the youth, low wages for youth, not enough community centers, existing community centers need to be repaired, the lack of community-based drug rehabilitation programs, increased parent involvement, and community sports teams.

Common solutions identified included building playgrounds, building recreational centers, cleaning up the parks, bringing concerns to the city council, using social media to communicate POMM’s message, hands on neighborhoods, planning city wide clean up days, decreasing the crime rate by providing education and employment, creating community service programs, taking care of our playgrounds, putting recreational centers in many diverse communities and not in one location or neighborhood, investing and creating neighborhood community businesses, creating personal treatment programs for youth, student peer education programs, helping stop the drug use, and identifying and cultivating relationships with adult mentors.

After the general assembly, break-out sessions were held on a variety of topics. The Youth Summit held workshops including the “School to Prison Pipeline,” “Know Your Rights,” “Equity in Education,” “How Haterism towards Youth Hurts the Future of New Orleans,” “Theater of the Oppressed,” “Knowing Our Real History,” and a digital media workshop. Youth participated as student teachers as each workshop was interactive and designed to tap into the knowledge base of the youth and increase upon it.

After the workshops and lunch, DJ AKT RIGHT kicked off over three hours of live entertainment that showcased local talent such as TEAM SNO, Michael Jackson of NOLA, K Levy, Keedie Black, NO Meezy, and featured socially conscious local rapper Dee-1. All performers stressed the importance of coming together to solve our own problems and that we can work united towards our common goals.

The goal of the event was to move more young people to become engaged in problem solving issues in their communities while allowing for a platform that addresses the needs of youth today. The summit will be used as the catalyst to start a citywide youth movement in New Orleans. Please come out and support us! Get in touch and get involved!! For more information contact:

Power of A Million Minds/ JJPL
1600 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70113
Office: (504) 207-4592 – (504) 645-0796
Fax: (504) 522-5430
Email: powerofamillionminds@gmail.com

Miller & Jackson: Updates from the U.S. Supreme Court

CharlotteDOoge — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:03:14 +0000

On March 20^th,2012 the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases of Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabam, argued by JJPL’s co-counsel in our Graham work, Bryan Stevenson. Both cases pertain to 14 year old offenders and address the issue of juveniles being sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole. If a positive decision is handed down in these cases, then it may, depending on the actual ruling, provide an opportunity for relief for our current 228 juveniles serving life without parole for homicide offenses in Louisiana.

JJPL signed onto an amicus brief that was submitted to the court in January. A representative from JJPL, Ethan Ashley, was present at the oral arguments and he described the arguments as being a “beacon of hope.” With Miller and Jackson having been heard in March we will certainly hope to hear a positive Supreme Court ruling this summer. Until this ruling we will tend to the several bills in the Louisiana legislature that deal sentencing juveniles to life without parole, one of which deals directly with juveniles convicted for homicide offenses, House Bill 753. As always, we will continue to further our efforts and work to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life without parole.