Juvenile-Justice Reform in Louisiana

The September issue of The American Prospect spotlights Louisiana's efforts to remake its juvenile-justice system as part of a special report on child delinquency. Louisiana's recent reforms demonstrate how collaborations among political, philanthropic, social service and legal actors can turn a Southern state into a laboratory for innovative, progressive public policy.

For many years, Louisiana's youth detention facilities -- most notoriously the Tallulah Correction Center or "Little Angola" -- were seen as dangerous places that bred offenders rather than reformed them. The conditions sparked the formation of the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, a nonprofit legal organizations that sued the state over the conditions around the same time that the U.S. Department of Justice also sued Louisiana over juvenile facilities.

The lawsuits began a reform movement that gained momentum following the 2003 election of Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana's first-term Democratic governor. Blanco harbored a deep interest in juvenile justice. With guidance from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Blanco moved to emphasize small facilities that stress rehabilitation rather than large correctional facilities modeled after adult prisons. Today, the Bridge City Center for Youth, located near New Orleans, showcases Louisiana's new approach.

Nevertheless, problems remain in Louisiana's juvenile-justice system, and Gov. Blanco has encountered difficulties in spreading her reforms to other state institutions. Yet the efforts of dedicated advocates and Gov. Blanco have attracted national interest in Louisiana's efforts.