OJJDP Family Listening Sessions: Executive Summary - Office of ...

training school in Jefferson Parish that has been greatly improved in recent years. Three parents
had children there, and they all knew of the Missouri Model and said their children were getting
good services there. One parent recounted discouraging stories from 2007 when her child was
there (he is now deceased). However, the state has made significant changes in personnel and
policies and has since adopted a therapeutic-based treatment model similar to the Missouri
Model (see page 5 for a description of this model.)
Question 3—Family Engagement
Did you feel you were able to maintain a
meaningful relationship with your child
while he or she was in the juvenile justice
system
Parents described many difficulties with
visiting schedules, transportation, and other
barriers to visitation; however, parents whose
children were at the Bridge City Center felt
that they were welcome to visit and that the
visits were meaningful.
Parents also expressed that they would like to
be offered parent support groups at the
detention and training school facilities but have
been told that support groups cannot be offered
because of confidentiality policies.
Parents whose children were not detained at
the Bridge City Center reported that they were
not included in decisions about their child’s
services or needs and did not feel respected.
Parents of children in the Bridge City Center
expressed the opposite was true, and they were
very appreciative of the new “family liaison”
position at the state office of juvenile justice.
The Bridge City Center for Youth
The Bridge City Center for Youth is a 132-bed riverside
campus, and is no longer considered a correctional facility
as part of the reform to stop treating juvenile delinquents
the same as adult convicts. Bridge City is one of three state
“secure care” centers for juvenile boys. Over six years ago,
Louisiana accepted the “Missouri Model” as the answer to
juvenile rehabilitation and began using a therapy method of
treating juveniles as troubled children rather than as
miniature adult convicts held behind razor wire and cell
bars. At Bridge City, boys aged 10 to 20 years serve a
minimum six-month term given to them by judges across
the state. They live in dormitories renamed to recovery
code words, such as Serenity, Hope, Pride, and Dignity.
They go to school and those with GEDs may enroll in
vocational training, such as culinary arts. Team sports,
bible study and conflict resolution are part of their daily
routines, as well as “restorative justice” projects, such as
serving lunches and talking to war veterans in a senior
home for former soldiers. Research shows that with the
therapeutic model juveniles can be rehabilitated at higher
and more permanent rates than adults.
Source: The Times-Picayune, Feb. 23, 2010
Question 4—Aftercare and Overall Thoughts
All of the parents wanted transition plans for their children when they are released from the
facilities. They were concerned about what to do and how to work with their children to ensure
they do not get back into the situation that led to their involvement with the system.