BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — On Sept. 4, the house committee at the State Capitol held a meeting where elected officials spoke about the task force that they hope can better protect juveniles’ rights in facilities statewide.
Deputy Secretary Curtis Nelson Jr. with the Juvenile Justice Office is pushing for accountability in facilities that are housing these youth. He hopes the task force committee will understand the conditions of certain facilities needing 72 new bedding installed and added healthcare workers.
Members of the task force even referenced the housing of juveniles in Angola, which resulted in backlash and legal challenges.
“One of the inconsistencies I found in our system is understanding of the tools we use. So, just because youth risk high on the savory, there are things that play into that has nothing to do with behavior,” Nelson Jr. said.
Senator Beth Mizell mentioned distributing funds equally to both male and female buildings is a huge focus.
Advocates for juvenile justice, like Staci Scott, Director of Ware Youth Center, addressed the task force to find a healthier solution for juveniles to have a stable life after serving time. She said the goal is to make sure the child goes back into society successfully.
The next committee meeting is to be announced.
