Photo by Shannon Wight

City must allow jail visits, judge rules

U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle ruled Wednesday that the city of New Orleans must give the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana access to their clients at the city-run Youth Study Center, a juvenile jail.

The center started shutting off access to the attorneys in December in reaction to the Juvenile Justice Project filing suit against the city, arguing that teens at the facility were being subjected to "inhumane and unconstitutional conditions of confinement."

Attorneys for the city argued that, by barring access, they were attempting to stop JJPL lawyers from soliciting additional plaintiffs for the lawsuit, which was filed as a potential class-action suit. But Lemelle said that the city's lawyers didn't properly outline "the abuses they fear will result from such communication."   

JJPL asked for an emergency motion on the issue, alleging that the city's restrictions were an "act of retaliation." Lemelle agreed, finding that the city limitations on JJPL's access had "apparently come about as a result of the . . . litigation."

The city had no comment on the decision.

"After the city attorney's office denied us access, we continued to receive requests for visits from parents of children held at Youth Study Center," said Dana Kaplan, head of JJPL.

She and her group are eager to resume those visits, she said.

. . . . . . .

Katy Reckdahl can be reached at kreckdahl@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3396.

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans' juvenile jail is a foul, vermin-infested place where children are confined 20 hours a day in small, dark cells and are abused psychologically and verbally, a lawsuit filed Friday alleges.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CITY OFFICIALS SUED OVER
EGREGIOUS MISMANAGMENT OF 
JUVENILE FACILITY

LAWSUIT FILED TODAY CITING CHILDREN HELD IN CRUEL
AND INHUMANE CONDITIONS AT THE YOUTH STUDY CENTER

New Orleans, Louisiana – Unsafe conditions, psychological abuse, and lack of access to medical care are part of a pattern of gross mismanagement at the problem-plagued Youth Study Center (YSC), according to a civil rights class action lawsuit filed today against the City of New Orleans in Federal District Court. Amidst mounting concerns over conditions of confinement at the city’s youth jail, the lawsuit, filed by the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL) and Holland & Knight law firm names top city officials as defendants, including Mayor Ray Nagin, Director of Health and Human Services Richard Winder, Social Services Coordinator Mubarak Kareem, Superintendent of the Youth Study Center Ozzie Williams and The Orleans Parish School Board. 

These inhumane conditions were uncovered by JJPL who has been monitoring the facility and interviewing children held at the YSC over the past year. The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of all children who are now or in the future will be confined at the YSC, claims that the conditions at the facility violate the constitution and the children's civil rights.  According to the civil rights action, the illegal conditions of confinement include "grossly unsanitary conditions, inadequate medical care, cruel psychological and verbal harassment and abuse, improper and excessive use of lockdown, inadequate education, and other unconscionable and illegal conditions of confinement."

Despite repeated and known complaints of inhumane conditions and examples of gross mismanagement of the facility, the defendants, including Mayor Nagin and Richard Winder, have taken no meaningful steps toward reform.  “Even FEMA declared the facility irreparably damaged, yet we have seen no improvement in YSC in the two years since Hurricane Katrina," said Attorney Carol Kolinchak, Legal Director of JJPL. “The city needs to address the gross mismanagement at the Youth Study Center. Children are kept in an inhumane jail that does not work to protect their constitutional rights nor to improve public safety.” 

 The international law firm Holland & Knight joins JJPL as co-counsel on the case. Holland & Knight's Community Services Team is nationally recognized for its work on prison reform and civil rights.  "The conditions of confinement of these children at YSC are among the worst that we have encountered," said Stephen Hanlon, partner, Holland & Knight.  "The city of New Orleans has not only failed the children they detain, but also the communities to which they ultimately return them."

The horrible conditions, mismanagement and poorly trained staff at YSC stand in stark contrast to the rest of the juvenile justice system, which, led by the Juvenile Court, is engaged in a reform process that is rebuilding the juvenile justice system based on-evidence based best practices. 

 “The Youth Study Center remains the black-eye of reform in New Orleans,” said JJPL Director Dana Kaplan.  “City-sponsored child abuse does not build a safer city.  I challenge the mayor, Richard Winder, and any of the other defendants to allow their children to spend an hour, much less a night, week or month at YSC.  It is past time to replace YSC with a small facility that is safe, humane, and staffed by well-trained professionals, and to invest in programs that actually work to improve public safety.”

 A copy of the lawsuit can be accessed at: www.jjpl.org/litigation/ysccomplaint.doc

 
For additional information or to speak with JJPL staff and Holland and Knight attorneys, please contact: Charles Easterling 251.509.2560

The Schools First Family Focus Group was a huge success.  Twenty-five youth and adults came out to discuss their experiences in school related to what we call “the school-to-prison pipeline.”  Attendees detailed personal experiences that support our belief that schools need to stop pushing children out of school.  Young people voiced their concerns about untrained school security, too many suspensions and expulsions and the need for more services in school for kids.  Some adults talked about their personal experiences of sitting through unfair expulsion hearings, and the frustrations of having a child put out of school for trivial reasons. Focus group attendees also gave feedback on materials that the Schools First Coalition has begun to create.  Our guests gave us positive feedback on the focus group as well as the food! 

 The Schools First Coalition plans to continue gathering information about suspensions, expulsions, school arrests, school push-outs, security and law enforcement in schools, and the services that are currently provided in school to support students’ success.  The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, a member of the coalition, is also creating a comprehensive student and parent survey to learn more about people’s experiences and opinions about these issues. 

School security is meeting topic

Posted by From staff reports April 09, 2007 8:12AM

The Schools First Coalition will hold the first of several parent focus groups on Thursday to find out from parents whether their child has been expelled from school or harassed or arrested by security or police officers at school and whether children complain that their school feels or looks like a prison.

The recently formed coalition wants to find out how parents feel about the issues and to create ways to solve them. The focus group is open to the public and will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, 1600 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Those interested must register by today. Call (504) 522-5437, ext. 236, to register.

The Friends and Families of Louisiana's Incarcerated Youth, Pyramid Community Parent Resource Center and the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana make up the Schools First Coalition.