Roundtable: Louisiana Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

The Louisiana Models for Change Initiative, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, was a large scale juvenile justice reform effort that occurred throughout the state from 2006-2015. Three targeted areas for improvement shaped the initiative: 1) reducing disproportionate minority contact, 2) increasing the availability of alternatives to formal processing, and 3) implementing evidence-based programs and supportive policies. All three of these areas were strategically guided by data driven decision making processes. This roundtable will first highlight key areas of “success” in achieving system changes and will include discussion of the practicality, utilization, and management strategies that were implemented as part of the initiative. The roundtable discussion will then turn to the critical role that university-agency partnerships played in the success of the reform efforts. We will facilitate a discussion among researchers and practitioners about the benefits and challenges of these collaborative partnerships and highlight the practicality of data-driven strategies that guide criminal justice practices from diagnosing system issues to indicating system change over-time.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Individual Presentations

• Louisiana Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice - Paul J. Frick, Louisiana State University; Stephen Phillippi, Institute for Public Health and Justice at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; Beth Touchet-Morgan, State of Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice; John Ryals, Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services

Chair

• Kristina Childs, Univeristy of Central Florida