It’s been a great year here at LCCR. We served more than 700 kids between New Orleans and East Baton Rouge, defended against punitive policies like Amendment 3 and SB74, and launched our #ItTakesAVillageNOLA narrative change campaign. Click here to read about what your support helped us achieve in FY 2025.

We first met “Lucia” as an 8th grader arrested for unauthorized use of a car and possession of a handgun. Lucia had been plagued by family troubles throughout her childhood and just wanted to feel accepted. Here's how we helped.

LCCR’s policy team has been hard at work during the 2025 legislative session, working to defend against tough-on-crime policies and rollbacks that had the potential to harm Louisiana’s children. Throughout this session, LCCR tracked three bills that represented the greatest threat to youth justice reform. Here are the results that were achieved.

Last year, Louisiana's Office of Juvenile Justice spent $165.6 million to operate the state’s prison system. Gov. Landry is now proposing spending $93 million more this year. Here are some better ways we can invest taxpayer dollars that will enhance public safety in Louisiana. 

This is the first article in our Staff Spotlight series, where we will interview staff to learn more about their background, skills, and motivation to do this essential work for kids in Louisiana. In this article, we will discuss Kisha’s work as a youth advocate and how her unique lived experience fuels her advocacy for our kids. 

In the 1990s, an academic named John Dilulio published an article describing the “superpredator.” He explained that a “moral poverty” in U.S. cities would result in a flood of 30,000 murderous teenagers, born criminals lacking in empathy or restraint. This gave a name to an existing societal fear of Black children. Today, with new laws passed to treat more kids like adults, more prisons being built to house them, and with harmful amendments being put on the ballot for voters, we can see a new pattern emerging laying the groundwork for another boom in mass incarceration.  

We first met “Nadia” as an 8th grader arrested for theft under $1,000. Her crime? Simply being present when her friend was caught stealing a pack of gum. What could and should have been a teachable moment for two adolescent girls instead became a frightening legal ordeal. Here is how we helped.

On April 3, LCCR welcomed more than 230 guests to our annual Celebration for Children’s Rights event. Collectively, we raised nearly $90,000 to fund our work with arrested and incarcerated youth in Louisiana. We can think of no better way to spend a beautiful (if slightly humid) spring evening than to come together with so many of our friends and supporters. Thank you for joining us and making this such a wonderful night out!

LCCR is pleased to announce the launch of our new narrative campaign, #ItTakesAVillageNOLA. This campaign coincides with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and calls upon New Orleanians to own the responsibility to its youth. It is part of a wider effort to combat the harmful narratives surrounding Black youth and promote alternative, positive narratives that reassert the humanity of young people in our city.

Louisiana’s Office of Juvenile Justice recently banned at-home holiday visits for incarcerated youth. This will keep children from visiting home for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras, and other major holidays.