We appreciate the Office of Juvenile Justice’s decision, as the safety and wellbeing of children should be its top priority. The State should not be taking children from their homes and communities if they cannot keep them safe and provide appropriate services. Louisiana is at a critical moment in youth justice. It is time for […]

The New York Times recently released an investigative report on the systemic failures and ignored abuse running rampant within Ware Youth Center – which has led to a surge in suicide attempts amongst incarcerated children. Governor Edwards has since announced he will request an investigation from the State Inspector General. The violence and abuse at […]

U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick issued a ruling that will allow Louisiana to move forward with its proposed plan to house adjudicated youth in a facility on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. This decision contradicts everything we know about youth facilities. As the former director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services […]

Louisiana has failed the children in its care in the Office of Juvenile Justice facilities and is planning to punish those children for its failings. The state’s plan to move children to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola will exacerbate the harms to those children and make Louisiana less safe. Malcolm Jenkins, a former New Orleans Saint, […]