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NEWS

Panel OKs closure of youth prison

Jetson Correctional Center.
Show Caption Mark Saltz/Advocate
  • By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Published: May 20, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 p.m.

A Senate committee has approved a plan to shut down a prison for youth offenders in rural East Baton Rouge Parish.

The bill by Senator Don Cravins, which has the support of the Jindal administration, would force the Jetson Center to close by June 2009.

Cravins, an Opelousas Democrat, said his goal is to speed up an ongoing shift away from prison-style lockups for youth convicts, in favor of smaller facilities focused on education and job skills.

The bill moves to the full Senate.


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jeremy
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
12:52 PM

I think the juveniles who are incarcerated could use smaller setting and more educational programs like the residential Bootcamp facilities that are available!
doug
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
1:35 PM

I think it's refreshing that at least one lawmaker here in the U.S. is starting to realize that there is an answer to overpopulated prisons besides the classic answer: more guards and more walls. Keep it up, Mr. Cravins.
JoeJoe
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
4:21 PM

Need a 10 story prison building based upon Harris County (Houston) Texas Jail. No violence in there, due to the layout. Cameras on everyone, clean as a whistle, and neat as a pin.
Wayne
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
5:17 PM

I feel that the bill proposed by Senator Cravins is a huge mistake. This bill places the public at great risk. One thing that must be kept in mind is that Jetson houses youth offenders that have committed serious crimes such as armed robbery, rape, murder, etc... This is just a political football. This facility does have educational and vocational programs. These programs just need to be funded more. A large majority of the problems of the recent past, if you've been keepin up, comes from the major mistakes made by the previous administration of OYD, Simone Gousilon. The current administration should be given the opportunity to fix these problems.
Ben
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
5:22 PM

The closure of JC isn't the answer either. I would be willing to bet that all the problems that have been happening at the Center can be found all over the State, along with our adult prisons. The problem isn't the system, but those running it. If you want to correct the problem start there. Closing institution will only cause a loss of jobs that this community and state can ill afford; especially with the economy the way that it is now. Great job LA Government for taking the easy road.
Ben
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
5:31 PM

@Wayne: I couldn't agree more. I know several teachers and teacher aids that work for the special school district that teach at Jetson. Many times materials needed to teach with are purchased from their own pockets. If Senator Cravins wants to correct the problems at Jetson, or even with the juvenile penal system, then he needs to crusade for more funding for them. Give the teachers a fighting chance to do their jobs rather than sending them home in a year jobless.
Cajun Jedi
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
6:05 PM

The dirty secret is there is no place to put them when they close Jetson. This whole close Jetson and let them loose foolishness was started by an article in the Advocate by a former inmate that appeared to be totally fabricated. Now the public will pay when these thugs are back on the street.
Wayne
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
6:21 PM

The force is working with Cajun Jedi, there is a dirty secret. Theses propsed smaller facilities will actually be group home. Exactly where would these facilities be located? Oh in the neighborhoods of the victims. In the days when juvenile crime is spiking, read the paper, they want to put these youth offenders back on the street. Think about the victims of rape, murder, armed robbery. How do you think they would react. Oh yeah, while in group homes, they would attend the already struggling publics school. What does that equal to more problems. This is just a place to win votes from the parents of the youth that are locked up. It is not a plan that effectively rehabilitates the troubled youth of Louisiana. Also think of the jobs loss. How can the Jindal administration support taking away jobs from hard working people?
DRamsey
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
10:38 PM

If these so-called children would have been reared properly at home, sent to school and got a leather on their backside when they needed they would not be a Jetson or any other facility. There is no easy answer to what needs to be done but closing the facilty is not the answer.
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