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Regular Session, 2013 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 192
BY SENATORS PEACOCK, ADLEY, ALLAI N, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN,
BUFFINGTON, CORTEZ, CROWE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY,
GALLOT, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MILLS, MURRAY,
PERRY, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, THOMPSON,
WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHI TE
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Louisiana congressional delegation to review the basis for the
discontinuance of funding of the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program through
a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant with the United States Department of Justice,
Office of Civil Rights.
WHEREAS, since 2002, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office has successfully
administered the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program, a program sanctioned by the
United States Marine Corps which provides community-based physical education programs
that are designed to teach young men and women, ages 8 to 18, respect for their bodies
through physical fitness, which in return will instill resistance to the temptations of illegal
drugs, alcohol and tobacco use; and
WHEREAS, the focus of the program is character-building, along with core values
of discipline, leadership, teamwork and commitment and instills into the participants the
ideals of honesty, integrity and respect and at-risk youth developing goals for academic
success; and
WHEREAS, the program has been partially funded by the Juvenile Accountability
Block Grant (JABG) provided by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE);
and
WHEREAS, because of the success of the program, local judges started sentencing
court-ordered juveniles to the program as a diversion from jail time; however, the Young
Marines Program was never intended to be a "diversion" program and the LCLE staff has SR NO. 192 ENROLLED
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recommended that the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office create a new separate program,
specifically for court-ordered juveniles; and
WHEREAS, in December 2012, the sheriff's office submitted a JABG application
for the Bossier Youth Diversion Program which was created similar to the Bossier Sheriff's
Young Marines Program, while also incorporating "Character Counts" and "The Great Body
Shop", as recommended by LCLE staff, for court-ordered juveniles only; and
WHEREAS, the sheriff's office was advised by the LCLE that pursuant to the
direction of the United States Department of Justice, Office for Civil Rights, the program
can "NOT include prayer as part of the Diversion program. Any prayer, even if voluntary,
needs to be separate in time or location from the Diversion Program activities."; and
WHEREAS, on February 22, 2013, the sheriff's office responded by email to the
LCLE, "In response to the prayer issue, the time that was offered for prayer was optional for
all of the kids. It was led by any child that wanted to volunteer and if there wasn't a
volunteer, it became a few moments of silence."; and
WHEREAS, on March 7, 2013, LCLE responded, at the direction of the United
States Department of Justice, requesting an official letter, "...signed by the Sheriff, which
states that there will be no prayer activities conducted during the Diversion program..." and
that the LCLE, "...will not be able to issue an award until this letter is received."; and
WHEREAS, at that time, the sheriff withdrew the grant request; and
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2013, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office submitted a
Program Plan Worksheet requesting the one-time Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention
funds available for the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program and was denied upon the
same grounds involving prayer activities; and
WHEREAS, at this time, the sheriff's office has been divested of funding by the
LCLE for both the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program and the Bossier Youth
Diversion Program due to prayer and the mention of God in the programs.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Louisiana congressional
delegation are hereby urged and requested to review with the United States Department of
Justice, Office of Civil Rights, the basis for the discontinuance of funding of the Bossier
Sheriff's Young Marines Program with a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant. SR NO. 192 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each
member of the Louisiana congressional delegation, the governor, the Louisiana Commission
on Law Enforcement, and the Bossier Parish sheriff.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE