When Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, nearly 150 children were locked inside Orleans Parish Prison as floodwaters rose. Many had not been convicted of any crime. Trapped without food, water, or medical care, these young people endured days of fear, neglect, and abandonment before being evacuated to juvenile prisons across Louisiana.

This report, originally published by the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL), brings their voices forward—documenting systemic failures that left children behind and calling for a juvenile justice system rooted in safety, humanity, and alternatives to incarceration. Read the full report below.