Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana 1600 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70133

Thank you for your interest in employment with the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana! Below are current employment opportunities:

 LGBTQ YOUTH PROJECT COORDINATOR

The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reforming Louisiana’s juvenile justice system.  Since 1997, JJPL’s successes include: driving all private, for-profit juvenile prisons from the state, the shutdown of two juvenile prisons including the infamous Tallulah facility, a successful campaign to pass Act 1225 – the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003 – legislation committing Louisiana to reducing its reliance on secure care and increasing alternatives to incarceration close to children’s homes, and helping to lead the revision of the Recovery School District (RSD) school discipline code to reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions in New Orleans.  JJPL’s mission is to transform the juvenile justice system into one that builds on the strengths of young people, families and communities in order to instill hope and to ensure that children are given the greatest opportunities to grow and to thrive.  One of our primary objectives to achieve our mission is increasing the power of communities most impacted by the juvenile justice system.

Research shows that at least 15% of youth in detention are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ); further, LGBTQ youth are more likely to be convicted in juvenile court and may stay in the juvenile justice system for lengthier periods of time.  There are a number of reasons that LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in juvenile detention. For example, LGBTQ youth are more likely to face family rejection or to have difficulty in school, two major driving factors into the juvenile justice system. Once incarcerated or detained, LGBTQ youth face some of the worst the system has to offer, including sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and physical abuse.

JJPL launched the LGBTQ Youth Project in 2006 to focus on the needs of LGBTQ youth, especially LGBTQ youth of color, with the ultimate goal of improving the juvenile justice system for all youth.

The objectives are to ensure that LGBTQ youth in the juvenile justice system receive quality representation in delinquency proceedings, reform the secure care facilities to provide quality services addressing the specific needs of LGBTQ youth or youth living with HIV/AIDS from entry to post-release, and significantly reduce the number of incidents of violence and harassment experienced by LGBTQ youth in secure confinement.

In the first few years of the work, the LGBTQ Youth Project:

• Conducted an assessment of the needs of LGBTQ youth in prison by surveying youth incarcerated in Louisiana state prisons, including those who either identified as LGBTQ or were perceived to be LGBTQ by other youth in the facilities, as well as asked heterosexual youth about their perceptions of LGBTQ youth in the facilities;
• Successfully advocated for close to two dozen incarcerated LGBTQ youth and HIV positive youth on issues that included securing their early release from the facility, reducing discriminatory disciplinary practices such as punishing children for having long hair, the inappropriate use of lockdown, and the right to confidentiality of HIV status;
• Conducted trainings for juvenile public defenders, drug court personnel, district attorneys, Families in Need of Services (FINS), Office of Children and Family Services (OCS), juvenile bureau police and other court personnel to increase understanding of LGBTQ youth and reduce their disproportionate contact with law enforcement and the juvenile justice system;
• Impacted stakeholders at the national level through presentations at conferences for the National Juvenile Justice Network, Annie E. Casey’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, MacArthur Models for Change, Community Justice Network for Youth, National Juvenile Defender Center, and more;
• Gained positive national media attention through articles about LGBTQ youth in Louisiana’s juvenile justice system such as “I Was Scared To Sleep” in The Nation, “Queer and Loathing” in Mother Jones, and a PBS segment, “Our Bodies, Our Rights: Juvenile Injustice” and;
• Released a report on LGBTQ youth in Louisiana state prisons called Locked Up & Out that has served as a platform for greater policy reform.
• The Project also helped with the writing of Hidden Injustice: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Juvenile Courts.

Responsibilities:

JJPL is currently hiring a Full Time LGBTQ Youth Project Coordinator whose responsibilities will include

• Building on the previous successes of JJPL’s LGBTQ Project through policy and advocacy work
• Developing and conducting trainings for entities including court staff, detention staff, community based organizations, the Office of Juvenile Justice, and educators as well as take advantage of other training opportunities as they are requested
• Strategic developing and implementing of LGBTQ policy within all areas of the juvenile justice system in Louisiana
• Coalition building with other LGBTQ organizations both at the local as well as the statewide level
• Cultivating and expanding upon existing relationships to advance an LGBTQ agenda on behalf of the youth in the juvenile justice system in Louisiana and to reduce their overrepresentation Engaging in the minor administrative work expected of all JJPL employees

Qualifications:

Applicant should be a leader as well as a collaborative worker. They should be highly motivated, have excellent written and communication skills and enjoy working with youth. Applicants should be self-motivated and willing to work long hours when necessary. Understanding of and commitment to the LGBTQ community in Louisiana is must, as is reliable transportation.  An undergraduate degree is required for this position, but a graduate degree or equivalent experience with youth development and/or juvenile justice is strongly preferred. 

Salary and Benefits:

The position has full benefits and provides salary commensurate with experience.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume, three references, and a short writing sample to Charlotte D’Ooge at info@jjpl.org. The position is open until filled, although we strongly recommend submitting application materials by May 31, 2012 for maximum consideration. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept phone calls or answer questions regarding the position at this time.

The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.