Program Authorization: R.S. 15:821-840.2;-908, Acts 187, 191, and 192 of 1968; Hayes Williams, et al v. John McKeithen, et al CA 71-98-b (M.D. La.)
The mission of the Administration Program is to provide policy direction, program oversight and support activities to the state's juvenile programs, consistent with the department's overall mission and goals. To accomplish this mission, the Administration Program standardizes as much as possible in order to increase economy and efficiency in areas of responsibility; provides beneficial administration, policy development, financial management and leadership; and develops and implements staffing standards/formulas for juveniles corrections services.
The goals of the Administration Program are:
1. Design, implement, and monitor an array of programs for custody and supervision cases that are consistent with public safety and as provided by law and the needs of the offender.
2. Provide centralized support activities, where needed and justified, to juvenile correctional programs.
3. Maintain and promote linkages with other units of government at the state and local level to provide assistance and effect more efficient delivery of services.
OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. In FY 1998-99, the Administration Program will target all available resources to deal with the increasing number of juveniles who commit violent/serious offenses and need to be placed in secure juvenile institutions to provide for the public's safety.
1 The number of secure beds in the state's three secure juvenile institutions has been increased to 1,672 and security measures have been instituted to handle a growing number of violent, dangerous juvenile offenders. In addition, through a cooperative endeavor agreement between the department and the Town of Tallulah, the Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth (TCCY) provides additional secure beds for juvenile males. By late 1997, the system's secure bed operational capacity for juvenile offenders increased to 1,896, with the opening of new beds at TCCY. Secure bed capacity for juvenile offenders is expected to reach 1,983 by the end of FY 1997-98 and 2,236 in FY 1998-99. Specific information on the state's secure facilities for juveniles appears in Programs B, C, D, and F.
2 Includes 43 average inmates per day for LaSalle Detention Facility (276 inmates were funded for two months).
2. In FY 1998-99, the Administration Program will assure the efficient and effective operation and direction of various juvenile services, including: responsible management of the juvenile institutions; proper selection and monitoring of juvenile delinquency prevention projects, shelter care facilities, and residential and nonresidential community treatment programs; and the effective administration of juvenile probation and parole services.
1The budgeted cost per case for youth in nonresidential programs is distorted because it is based on budgeted Title IVA funds, all of which may not be expended during the current fiscal year.
3. In FY 1998-99, the Administration Program will assure maintenance of ACA accreditation standards for juvenile service programs and institutions and maintain ACA accreditation for secure institutions, juvenile regional offices, and juvenile community residential centers and day treatment programs.
4. In FY 1998-99, the Administration Program will lead efforts to reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders through the provision of educational and rehabilitation opportunities and treatment programs.
1 Amounts do not include Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth, for which information is not available.
2 The Office of Youth Development (OYD) defines a recidivist as any juvenile who has been adjudicated a delinquent and either placed into the custody of or under the supervision of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and who: (1) is subsequently readjudicated for any delinquent offense as a juvenile and is again placed into the custody of or under the supervision of the OYD; or (2) is convicted in an adult court and placed into the custody of the Office of Adult Institutions or the supervision of the Division of Probation and Parole (Adult). Under this definition, a subsequent adjudication of a juvenile as a status offender would not count as recidivism.
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TRENDS IN ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AT ALL JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS |
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Explanatory Note: All juvenile inmates are offered the opportunity to participate in primary and secondary educational programs, GED, vocational programs and some college coursework (at participating institutions). Special education and Chapter 1 programs are also available. The need for substance abuse education and awareness in the juvenile system is being addressed, a program for sex offenders is provided, and a prerelease program is provided to juveniles who meet release criteria.
Jobs Skills Education Program: In late 1993, the OYD was awarded a $1.4 million federal grant, "A Model Continuum of Rehabilitative Care for Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders." A pilot project, including a Jobs Skills Education Program (JSEP) (a computer-based literacy program developed by the United States Army) was implemented at Jetson Correctional Center for Youth. The success of this program inspired implementation of the program in all juvenile institutions during 1995.
School-to-Work: Jetson Correctional Center for Youth (JCCY) is participating in a pilot "School-to-Work" Program through a grant from the Department of Education. It is believed that this program can contribute to a reduction in recidivism of incarcerated youth. The program seeks to provide an educational curriculum that demonstrates practical applications from classroom to vocational training, with the end result being gainful employment for offenders once they leave the institution. JCCY teachers have been trained in this concept and linkages have been established with Louisiana industries/businesses that can provide employment. Through this program, the institution can link with these industries/businesses to get the offenders trained for those occupations for which skilled workers are in demand. Offenders can leave the institution with greater self-esteem and a marketable skill.
Substance Abuse: Approximately 50% of all juvenile offenders enter the state's custody with a substance abuse problem. Substance abuse education and awareness will be addressed as part of the $1.4 million grant entitled "A Model Continuum of Rehabilitative Care for Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders." The primary goal of this project is to expand substance abuse treatment among incarcerated youths so that they may remain drug-free upon release. This project, which is located at JCCY, will target 100 incarcerated males and females from ages 14-21 during the first year of operation. The group will be comprised of 92% African American youth, primarily from urban areas. The program will serve the entire state, with at least 20% from rural population areas. The project outcome will be determined through a comparative group design utilizing multivariate analyses. This will be conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software package.
Sex Offender Program: The juvenile sex offender program seeks to increase socially acceptable behaviors and decrease recidivism on sex offenses through counseling and education. Upon admission to the program, a comprehensive assessment is conducted to determine the type, intensity, and frequency of problematic sexual behavior and to determine the presence of other nonsexual psychological problems associated with the behavior. Programming, provided over a 40- to 80-week period in individual and group sessions, addresses sexuality, psychosexual disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, victim impact and appropriate coping mechanisms.
Project Zero Tolerance: Youth incarcerated in the state's facilities are often the product of violent environments. Therefore, a goal. Of incarceration should be to instill skills that break the cycle of violence. This goal and the identification of systemic concerns for acts of violence being committed by offenders and staff within the confines of the secure juvenile facilities, fostered the department's development and implementation of "Project Zero Tolerance - A Balanced Approach to Reducing Violence." This project was designed to address offender-on-offender, staff-on-offender, and offender-on-staff acts of violence. The project is comprised of a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to: (a) communication and education for all staff regarding the department's commitment to reducing acts of violence; (b) extensive training for both staff and juveniles in the areas of behavior management, alternatives to violence and other beneficial matters; (c) formal monitoring by top-level administration and clinical staff; (d) establishment of an independent, objective project team to review current policies and practices and investigate acts of violence and allegations of violence; and (e) establishment of a hotline for reporting incidents or allegations of violence.
The maintenance of secure, safe and stable facilities requires the highest level of attention to effective but nonabusive behavior management and use-of-force strategies. Unnecessary or excessive uses-of-force are dangerous and destabilizing; failure to use adequate force when necessary and when other options are not effective can be equally as dangerous and destabilizing. The project seeks to develop a workforce that is trained and committed to the resolution of conflict with a minimum of force and to instill problem-solving skills that are meaningful alternatives to violence.
Prerelease Program: Juvenile offenders who meet release criteria are allowed to participate in prerelease programs presented through individual counseling and/or formal prerelease programs or groups. As space allows, dormitories may be designated for prerelease offenders. Through counseling with case managers, an individual release plan is developed for each offender prior to release.
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PROFILE OF RECIDIVISM IN THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AS OF JANUARY 1997 CALENDAR YEAR/DISCHARGE COHORT (CUSTODY AND SUPERVISION INCLUSIVE) |
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1 Designates detention, jail, runaways, etc.
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SUMMARY TOTALS OF OYD DISCHARGES (FINAL EXITS) AND RECIDIVISTS, AS OF JANUARY 1997 |
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1 Denotes location at time of exit.
2 Discharge cohort includes offenders who exit from custody or supervision (probation or parole) during the year.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM
This program is funded with state general fund, interagency transfers, fees and self-generated revenues, and statutory dedications. The statutory dedications are offenders' probation fees (Per R.S. 39:32B.(8), see table below for a listing of expenditures out of each statutory dedicated fund). The interagency transfers are derived from the Department of Social Services for Juvenile Families in Need of Services Program. The fees and self-generated revenues are derived from parents for partial reimbursement of the cost of supervising their children on probation and parole.
The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 104.0% of the existing operating budget. It represents 87.1% of the total request ($1,507,949) for this program. The increase in the total recommended level is primarily due to the funding of acquisitions. The attrition adjustment and the reduction of other line items are recommended to fully fund the 29 recommended positions. The increase in the State General Fund of $69,585 is a technical adjustment that also reduces the Self-Generated fees by the same amount within this program. These fees are transferred budgetarily to the Contract Services program in order to properly align the correct means of financing in the appropriate programs.
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This program does not have funding for Professional Services for Fiscal Year 1998-1999. |
ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS