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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 56
BY SENATOR BROOME
COMMENDATIONS. Commends and publicly acknowledges a series of reform
accomplishments of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Youth Services,
Office of Juvenile Justice.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To commend and publicly acknowledge a series of reform accomplishments of the2
Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Youth Services, Office of Juvenile3
Justice (OJJ).4
WHEREAS, the Justice Policy Institute and the Annie E. Casey Foundation issued5
reports showing that Louisiana reduced its rate of youth incarceration by over fifty percent6
over a thirteen year period, from 1997 to 2010; and 7
WHEREAS, both the Justice Policy Institute and the Annie E. Casey Foundation8
stated this reduction was one of the most dramatic improvements in the United States, and9
Louisiana is being called a national model in reducing the number of youths in out-of-home10
placement; and11
WHEREAS, the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) recently transitioned to a12
regionalized model of leadership and, under this new agency model, divided the state into13
three regions, each with a director responsible for youths at all levels of custody and14
supervision; and15
WHEREAS, this new organization of the agency creates a more cohesive team unit16
and allows for more efficient and effective delivery of services; and17
WHEREAS, OJJ schools celebrated the high school graduation of fifty-four youths18 SCR NO. 56
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in June of 2012, including thirty-four graduates from the Swanson Center for Youth's1
Southside Alternative High School, nine graduates from the Bridge City Center for Youth,2
and eleven graduates from the Scenic Alternative High School at Jetson Center, as well as3
the awarding of GEDs to an additional fifty-seven youths while in an OJJ secure care facility4
in 2012; and 5
WHEREAS, OJJ secure care facilities have introduced two new vocational programs,6
including Bridge City Center for Youth's auto mechanic program, which saw twenty youths7
receiving certifications from its Convergent Technology vocational program, and Bridge8
City Center for Youth's culinary arts program, which saw nineteen students receive their9
ServSafe certificate, a nationally accredited food safety certification from the National10
Restaurant Association; and11
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Education measures the progress of all12
Louisiana schools, including schools inside OJJ secure care facilities, and has designated the13
schools at both Swanson Center for Youth and Bridge City Center for Youth as a "Top Gains14
School", meaning a school within the top-third of all 440 Louisiana schools, in light of both15
schools improving their performance by doubling their projected growth target; and 16
WHEREAS, the American Correctional Association (ACA) re-accredited OJJ's17
central office in the summer of 2012 after OJJ's central office passed one hundred percent18
of the ACA accreditation standards; and 19
WHEREAS, Bridge City Center for Youth received a formal recommendation for20
accreditation by the ACA, which, once achieved, will mean that all OJJ offices and facilities21
will be ACA accredited; and 22
WHEREAS, Harvard University recently recognized OJJ for its innovative23
programming for youth, specifically praising OJJ's Service Coordination Model, a24
government initiative through the "Bright Ideas" program, an initiative of the broader25
Innovations in American Government Awards program at the John F. Kennedy School of26
Government, Harvard University; and 27
WHEREAS, OJJ partnered with the Northshore Community and Technical College28
and the MacArthur Foundation to establish a model whereby community and technical29
colleges work with youth involved with the juvenile justice system, creating an individual30 SCR NO. 56
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career pathway for participating youth through career guidance, intensive case management1
and follow-up, education, job skills training, pre-employment services, as well as job2
placement services upon completion of their chosen academic program.3
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby4
commend and publicly acknowledge the Department of Public Safety and Corrections,5
Youth Services, Office of Juvenile Justice, for the foregoing series of accomplishments.6
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the7
Deputy Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Youth Services,8
Office of Juvenile Justice.9
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Julie J. Baxter.
DIGEST
Broome SCR No. 56
Commends and publicly acknowledges a series of reform accomplishments of the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Youth Services, Office of Juvenile Justice
(OJJ).