§902.4. Conversion of Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit to a regional treatment facility for juveniles

A.(1) By June 30, 2009, the Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit shall be converted to a regional treatment facility and renamed the Louis Jetson Center for Youth. The buildings of the Louis Jetson Center for Youth will be located together in a small area on the existing Jetson property. The facility shall have a design capacity aligned with national best practices. The design shall limit the dormitory capacity to twelve youths, and implement a therapeutic setting. The regional facility shall house not more than ninety-nine youths.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of Paragraph (A)(1) of this Subsection, the governor by executive order and upon a declaration that there is a public safety emergency which necessitates the use of Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit as a juvenile facility may extend the conversion date by a period not to exceed five months from the date of issuance of the declaration of emergency.

(3) No provision of this Subsection shall prohibit the department from converting Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit to the Louis Jetson Center for Youth at any time prior to June 30, 2009, should the protection and public safety of society permit.

B.(1) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of juvenile justice shall develop a comprehensive plan for transitioning of these youth and conversion of the facility based upon the health, safety, and best interest of each child and the protection and public safety of society. The comprehensive plan shall include strategies and activities to incorporate the following:

(a) Use of standardized and validated assessment of youth risk need factors.

(b) Use of treatment interventions that target known predictors of crime and recidivism to prepare youth offenders for success in the community.

(c) Use of evidence-based programs.

(d) Staff development.

(e) Family involvement.

(f) Continuous quality improvement and evaluation of programs.

(g) Staff-to-youth ratio in secure facilities with plans to achieve a staffing structure consistent with positive behavior treatment models.

(h) Statistics of percentage of youth involved in fights in secure facilities with improvement plans.

(i) A time line that highlights the benchmarks to successful implementation of the plan. The plan shall be submitted to the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission no later than December 30, 2009. Thereafter, a progress report on the plan shall be submitted on an annual basis to the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission.

(j) A recommendation for implementation and funding for three regional youth centers with populations not to exceed ninety-nine youths and dormitory units not to exceed twelve youths. Each center shall execute effective educational and therapeutic practices.

(k) In conjunction with the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission, develop a comprehensive needs assessment plan for determining the quantity and location of additional community-based treatment and supervision programs for youth within the Louisiana juvenile justice system.

(l) Recommendations for the development of operating procedures to ensure that the violence and other documented problems that occurred at the Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit are not replicated at Louis Jetson Center for Youth or other facilities where the youth are transferred.

(2) The secretary of the department shall submit the plan on or before November 20, 2009, to the governor, to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission created by R.S. 46:2751 et seq.

(3) Beginning on January 1, 2009, and every month thereafter until such time as Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Parish Unit is converted to the Louis Jetson Center for Youth the office of juvenile justice shall submit to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission a status report detailing the following items:

(a) The total number of youths in the facility.

(b) Other information requested by the commission.

C. The Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission shall make recommendations to the governor and legislature, including the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, prior to the 2009 Regular Session of the Legislature, regarding suggested executive action or required legislation and funding for juvenile justice services, facilities, and personnel.

D. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall give a hiring preference to any employee who has been involuntarily dismissed as the result of the conversion of the Jetson Center for Youth-East Baton Rouge Unit to fill an opening in the workforce of the office of juvenile justice for which that employee is qualified.

Acts 2008, No. 565, §1; Acts 2009, No. 253, §1.