CURRENT AGE: 18
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROJECT OF LOUISIANA
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
Kyron George hasn’t had any run-ins with the law, but he still dedicates his time to helping incarcerated youth through the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana.
The JJPL actively campaigns for improved conditions in youth facilities. It has succeeded in shutting down two facilities and is fighting for the closure of the Youth Study Center, a resource-starved juvenile detention center. JJPL also has programs that discourage schools from suspending and expelling troubled students and seek support services instead, and it pushes officials to offer community-based alternatives to incarceration, such as mentoring and counseling services.
Kyron, 20, has been involved with the group for three years and has served as an intern. He has been especially active in the Close the Youth Study Center campaign. “The center was in a very bad condition. They had the kids in there and at the time they weren’t receiving the proper medical attention or the proper counselors for the mentally challenged kids. They didn't have certain materials that are needed. The kids were not able to communicate with family sometimes. They were not going to school,” he explained. While you were growing up in New Orleans, did any of your friends have trouble with the juvenile justice system?
I had a lot of friends that were abused by the system or placed in it. And like just from their stories alone, I could just tell that it wasn’t a good thing. And just sitting around and talking about it or hearing about it made us aware of what was going on and made us feel like we needed to change it.
Why do you think Louisiana’s rate of youth incarceration is among the highest in the United States?
It comes from many different reasons, such as the surroundings of the youth, having to fit a certain standard or be a certain way. That really causes them to act out. It’s also having a lack of parents, or not having an adult or a person in your life to help you out with certain situations, or feeling like you have no one.
Why do you think Louisiana has kept the Youth Study Center open for so long?
Honestly, from the way I look at it, it’s the politicians and the administration that’s over the building, not knowing where the funds are going and not having the community involved in it as well. It’s just been like out of range.
Why do you devote time to doing this?
Just to be able to help the youth, period, if not better the city, at least have an impact on the youth where you can kind of slow down the crime rate and rehabilitate in a way.
Copyright 2009 Y-Press