Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana - Cravins Expects Bill to Close Jetson to Pass

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Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana - Cravins Expects Bill to Close Jetson to Pass

A state Senate bill that sets deadlines for closing Jetson — a state-run juvenile prison with a history of brutality — and for establishing smaller, regionalized juvenile detention facilities has a good chance of passing, said State Sen. Donald Cravins Jr.

Cravins, D-Opelousas, who introduced Senate Bill 749, said he expects new legislators to support the measure.

"I think they bring an open mind and an eagerness," he said recently. "I think they're ready to adopt this legislation and get reforms moving forward."

But Cravins said he isn't so sure whether older members of the Legislature will support the bill.

"Some of them have watched us throw money at reforms and then nothing happens," Cravins said. "They've become apathetic because it's the same problem we were facing five years ago."

The bill sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline to close Jetson. But it allows a five-month extension if the Office of Youth Development needs extra time to find other facilities or alternative programs for the teenage offenders.

"These deadlines might change before we're finished," Cravins said. "I want OYD to sign off on it so we have deadlines that work."

Richard Thompson, the head of OYD, refused this week to answer The Advocate's questions about reforms or Cravins' proposed legislation.

"OYD will have to find another location for smaller facilities in Baton Rouge as well as some other areas of the state for these kids," Cravins said. "That could take some time."

Even if his legislation doesn't pass, Cravins said he thinks Jetson ultimately will close.

"That doesn't mean they won't find other uses for the 800-acre facility," he said.

Jetson and the state's other two juvenile prisons, Bridge City Center for Youth and Swanson Center for Youth, have had problems in recent years.

In 1995, Human Rights Watch, an international human rights group, said Louisiana's juvenile prisons were among the worst in the nation and fell below international standards.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state in 1998, accusing OYD of failing to provide juvenile inmates a secure environment, sufficient education and proper health care.

The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, a New Orleans based nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring the juvenile justice system, joined the Department of Justice in filing the lawsuit.

The three juvenile prisons were placed under federal court supervision. Bridge City and Swanson were released from court oversight in the early 2000s. Jetson, the last to be released, was freed in May 2006, when a federal judge said the state was making progress with reforms.

A 2003 state law set in motion juvenile justice reforms and created the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission.

But while the law called for smaller, regionalized facilities for delinquent teens, it didn't set deadlines or provide the commission with a staff to ensure reforms were completed, Cravins said.

And so far, not one regional facility has been created.

"We've been playing with this since 2003," Cravins said. "The new legislation gives us a blueprint that everyone can live with. It sets goals and timelines and provides us with a way to ask whether these goals have been met."

If the new law is approved, it also will give the commission a staff, Cravins said.

"And to really accomplish our goals, we need a staff," he said.

Dana Kaplan, executive director of the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, said Thursday she supports the proposed legislation, particularly closing Jetson.

"Jetson is indicative of the ongoing problems of where reforms have fallen short in juvenile justice," she said.

Jetson houses about 210 teenage boys who have committed crimes ranging from shoplifting to murder.

While calling for smaller, regional facilities is not new, deadlines are, Kaplan said.

"Louisiana committed itself to these reforms in 2003," she said. "But making sure there are deadlines and accountability to get the reforms moving forward is new."

Grace Bauer of Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children said she also supports Cravins' legislation.

"We are where we were in 2003," she said. "It's time to get the reforms moving."

But Bauer said she is concerned whether that will happen with the people hired and appointed to OYD by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

"They have hired people from the old regime, people who were defendants when OYD was sued in the '90s," Bauer said. "Why would they do that?"

She listed Thompson, who was head of OYD from 1996 until 2000, and Elijah Lewis, who was the warden of Jetson when the lawsuit was filed.

Thompson was appointed by Jindal to head OYD and Lewis was contracted by Thompson to provide OYD "technical assistance to youth services."

"I just wonder what Thompson's and Lewis' qualifications are now?" Bauer said. "Is it serving the interest of the public and the kids to have these same people? I just don't understand."

Timmy Teepell, the governor's chief of staff, also refused to talk to The Advocate this week about this issue.

However, he issued a written statement.

"The governor has told OYD Director Richard Thompson to create an aggressive plan to reform the juvenile facilities in our state to ensure we have the most safe and efficient system possible, and that the kids in Louisiana's centers are being encouraged to get back on track by continuing their education and pursuing a rewarding career," Teepell's statement says.

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