INITIATIVE : Juvenile Justice Reform

Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission

As a legislator, Mitch Landrieu led the fight to reform the state's juvenile justice system. Landrieu pushed legislation to close the notorious Tallulah prison and helped create a new agency to oversee the state's juvenile justice programs.

As Lt. Governor, Landrieu continues to fight for juvenile justice reform as chair of the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission.

MISSION

The Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission was created to implement the recommendations contained in the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003 and facilitate the continued reform of the state’s juvenile justice system.

HISTORY

On April 10, 2001, former Louisiana State Supreme Court Chief Justice Pascal Calogero delivered his annual State of the Judiciary Address to the Joint Session of the Legislature wherein he appealed for “all three branches to examine the issue of the current state of our juvenile justice system and to take bold steps to improve it.” As a result, the Joint Legislative Juvenile Justice Commission was established by House Concurrent Resolution No. 94 during the 2001 Regular Session to study and make recommendations on the feasibility of reforming and restructuring the juvenile justice system as it faced the challenges of the new millennium. The Commission reported its findings and recommendations to the Louisiana Legislature on March 5, 2003.

The Louisiana Legislature passed Act 1225 of the 2003 Regular Session, also known as the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003, as a result of the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Juvenile Justice Commission. The Act established the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission, which is currently chaired by Lt. Governor Mitchell J. Landrieu, to oversee the state’s juvenile justice reform efforts.

Members

• Lt. Governor Mitchell J. Landrieu, Chair
• Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine “Kitty” Kimball, Vice-Chair
• Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis
• Senator Donald R. “Don” Cravins, Jr.
• Representative Mack “Bodi” White
• Raymond Jetson

Major milestones

2004

• Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco directs the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to establish a firewall between adult corrections and juvenile services, effectively separating juvenile services from the adult system.
• The Louisiana Legislature enacts Act 7 of the 2004 Regular Session establishing youth services as an independent organizational unit within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
• The Office of Youth Development ceases operation of the Swanson Correctional Center for Youth-Madison Parish Unit at Tallulah, Louisiana, as a juvenile facility.   
• The Office of Youth Development introduces therapeutic programming at its juvenile facilities and increased funding for community-based programming.

2005

• The Office of Youth Development holds a series of public meetings throughout the state to gather public input into the state’s juvenile justice reform efforts.
• The Office of Youth Development releases a five year strategic plan for its juvenile justice reform efforts.

2008

• Act 565 of the 2008 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature reestablishes the Office of Youth Development as the Office of Juvenile Justice.
• Act 565 mandates the closure of the Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Unit as a juvenile facility by June 30, 2009.

CONTACT

Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission
Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, Chair
1051 N. 3rd Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Erin Monroe Wesley, Executive Counsel
Email: ewesley@crt.state.la.us

(225) 342-8607 | phone