[StBernard] Five judicial districts selected as focus of $7.5 million Models for Change initiative

[Westley Annis]

Five judicial districts selected as focus of $7.5 million Models for Change initiative to Reform Juvenile Justice in Louisiana 


BATON ROUGE, LA - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco today announced the five judicial districts that will receive funding and technical support for juvenile justice reform as part of the five-year, $7.5 million Models for Change initiative, supported by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The five judicial districts include the following parishes: Jefferson, Rapides, Calcasieu, Caddo, St. Mary, St. Martin, and New Iberia. 

At a press conference in the Louisiana State Capitol, Gov. Blanco was joined by Julia Stasch, MacArthur's Vice President to announce the five participating judicial districts and celebrate the launch of Models for Change in Louisiana's communities. 

"We have made incredible progress in the past few years toward creating a more balanced, fair, and effective juvenile justice system, making Louisiana a recognized leader in juvenile justice reform," said Gov. Blanco. "The Models for Change initiative enables us to expand upon our recent progress and develop more local programming and services for young people who find themselves in trouble with the law. I am proud of these parishes, which have made juvenile justice reform a priority. This commitment of funds is the first of more to come."

"Last June, Louisiana was one of four states chosen to participate in the Models for Change initiative because of its ongoing efforts and committed leadership at the state and local levels," said MacArthur's Julia Stasch. "After the hurricanes hit and the State was left to confront the challenges of recovering and rebuilding, MacArthur stepped back to assess the implications and timing. We quickly established that juvenile justice remains a high priority, and that in dealing with emergency and crisis, the State is now more committed than ever to efficiently and effectively use resources for lasting reform." 

"Given the capacity of our higher education system, we are in an excellent position to lead this effort, and we look to engaging in this work," said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. E. Joseph Savoie. The Board of Regents will oversee the work of Models for Change in Louisiana.

The judicial districts were selected following a process that evaluated a number of criteria, including the districts' commitment to juvenile justice reform, their track record of collaborative relationships in seeking policy change and improvement, the likelihood of achieving the goals of the initiative, and their potential as a bellwether for other areas. 

Reform efforts will focus on three areas, which were determined after research and numerous conversations with state and local officials. They include: 1) reducing the disproportionate contact of minority youth with Louisiana's juvenile justice system; 2) increasing the availability of community services for young people in trouble with the law that reflects current knowledge about what works; and 3) improving access to effective programs and services that can serve as alternatives to formal processing, especially for those who need mental health and other specialized treatment. Some funding will also be used for statewide efforts to ensure that work carried out at the local level through Models for Change is aligned with the State's goals for reforming juvenile justice.

Models for Change In Louisiana
In June 2005, Louisiana was selected to be part of the Models for Change initiative, along with three other states: Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The states were selected because of their strong juvenile justice leadership and the likelihood that they will reach a tipping point that could help stimulate change in other states.

Under the direction of Governor Blanco, Louisiana's juvenile justice system has been transformed from a corrections model to one that is centered on the treatment and rehabilitation of youth. Last May a U.S. district judge dismissed a 1998 federal lawsuit against Louisiana's juvenile justice system, citing substantial improvements in youth safety and treatment, as well as significant progress toward implementing a milestone statewide reform strategy for the way the state treats its troubled youth. 

The Foundation awarded a grant to the Louisiana Board of Regents in partnership with the Louisiana State University System to serve as the lead entity coordinating the initiative's activities in the state. Debra DePrato, M.D., was appointed to serve as the project director in February, 2006. 

Models for Change promotes a juvenile justice system that is rational, effective and developmentally sound by creating reform models to hold young offenders accountable for their actions, provide for their rehabilitation, protect them from harm, increase their life chances, and manage the risk they pose to themselves and to public safety. The initiative seeks to develop and support replicable, system-wide change that can serve as models for other states to learn from and emulate. By examining change in different states, Models for Change aims to broaden understanding of success in different regions, making it easier to generalize the lessons learned and replicate progress nationwide.

The MacArthur Foundation does not endorse any single reform model, but promotes successful reform through a collection of approaches and interventions that recognize the developmental differences between adolescents and adults. By virtue of their immaturity, young people are more likely to take risks, more susceptible to peer pressure, and less able to foresee the consequences of their actions.

The Models for Change initiative also provides grants to national organizations that together constitute a national resource bank that acts as a source of knowledge, tools, training, technical assistance, and strategies for advocacy and public education for initiative participants.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, headquartered in Chicago, is a private, independent grantmaking institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. With assets of approximately $5.5 billion, the Foundation makes grants totaling $200 million each year.


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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org