FFLIC is so proud of our youth leader Tamia Cenance. Her op-ed addressing why we don't need another youth prison in Monroe, LA was published this weekend. Please tweet and share her article!

We must not rebuild Swanson-Monroe Youth Center. Here’s why.

Almost every week I’m devastated to learn of new accounts of abuse occurring at youth prisons across the country. Physical, sexual, and psychological abuse runs rampant in youth prisons, and that’s just looking at detention centers in Louisiana alone. For me, it’s personal. My dad was incarcerated when he was a child. He attended numerous schools that were ill-equipped and unwilling to handle his symptoms of ADHD, resulting in him cycling through the criminal justice system. In youth prisons he was subjected to violence and abuse. As a family, we’re still working through the trauma of his encounters with the youth justice system in Louisiana. 

That’s why I truly cannot understand why Governor John Bel Edwards and the Office of Juvenile Justice think it’s a good idea to continue this history of harm by building a new youth prison in Swanson-Monroe.

Read the full op-ed here.

Additionally, you can read about the history of the Swanson-Monroe facility in this article about the planned groundbreaking for the prison this spring and join us for our Day at the Capitol to tell policymakers #NoMorePrison. (See details below).

In the past year, FFLIC has brought together and led the Louisiana HOOP (Harvesting Opportunities Outside of Prison) Coalition, which is "a collective of advocates committed to dismantling systems of white supremacy and abolishing youth incarceration in Louisiana."

We are now excited to announce that the Louisiana HOOP Coalition is launching their #NoMorePrisons campaign! The campaign is focused on 1) halting the construction of a youth prison: Swanson Center for Youth at Monroe and 2) demanding that the Office of Juvenile Justice end their contract with Ware Center for youth.

73% of Louisianans across the political spectrum recognize that youth incarceration is ineffective, and support the divestment from youth prisons and the investment into youth, families, and their communities! And now we are coming together to lift up our voices at the State Capitol building!

The LA HOOP Coalition demands state leaders:
• Release incarcerated youth due to heightened dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic in OJJ facilities.
• Stop new youth prison construction at Swanson-Monroe and establish a moratorium on the construction of new youth prisons.
• Work with youth and community leaders to create a plan to close the remaining youth prisons in the state.
• End contract with the Ware Youth Center facility.
• Redirect resources from incarceration to investments in youth in their communities.
• Center youth in discussions around alternatives towards the Criminal Justice system.

Please REGISTER NOW for two events to make our voices known to state leaders:

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - Rally for Youth Justice & Day at the Capitol

Meet us at 10 am at the parking lot at the Bradley Rd & Emile St. Parking Lot in Baton Rouge, LA.

• From there we will caravan over to the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Detention Center for a rally.
• Following the rally, we will caravan over to the Louisiana State Capitol Building steps for a press conference at 12:00pm.

We will also be tabling on the Capitol steps all day and have a presence in the Appropriations Committee hearing at 9:30 am, where OJJ will be presenting their budget. We invite you to also come to speak with your legislators about these important youth justice issues.

Food, Drink, and a space for resting will also be available steps away from the Louisiana State Capitol Building at the Louisiana State Library located at 701 N 4th St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - Poster making event for the rally & Day at the Capitol
Join us on the Tuesday before our Day at the Capitol from 5-6pm, at the Promise of Justice Initiative Courtyard at 1024 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116 to make posters for the rally and speak with members of the coalition about our No More Prisons Campaign.

*** For both events, masks and social distancing will be required***

Please register so we can get accurate counts for food and drinks!

And please follow the LA HOOP Coalition and share the event on social media!

• Louisiana HOOP Coalition Facebook Pagearticle
  
• Twitter
  
• Instagram

Now in its 8th year, GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously so that we can make our region stronger and create a thriving community for ALL.

Stay tuned for more details on how you can support FFLIC. We will be providing a social media toolkit with graphics so that you can lift up our organization and our work to keep kids out of prison! We know you care deeply about this issue and we will be providing you with the tools you need to make an impact!

FFLIC is truly honored to be part of a community of families, organizations, artists, and advocates that are uplifting the voices of the families and youth most impacted by incarceration. That's why we are so pleased to see the success of the documentary film "Time" and its nomination for an Oscar award! Not only were we more than glad to help the film's director, Garrett Bradley, reach out to families, but we also knew she made the right choice in teaming up with the fierce long-time Louisiana advocate and friend, Fox Rich.

We are certainly grateful to know these amazing women and appreciate that they are uplifting the work of our organization and uplifting the voices of families impacted by incarceration. We especially appreciate that Ms. Bradley gave a shout out to FFLIC and our Executive Director Gina Womack on the The Daily Show!

We also want to highlight this statement that Garrett made on the show because it resonates so deeply with our work and why it made sense for her to connect with us in the first place:

“There was a real absence in talking about incarceration from a woman’s point of view, from a family’s point of view, from the point of view of the human experience.”

Watch the clip here and cross your fingers for "Time," Fox and Rob, and Garrett Bradley on April 25th! #ItsTimeForAnOscar!

LOCAL

"Louisiana supports slave labor and slave wages. The question is whether our state Legislature and voters do, too." - Read William Sutton's staff column on legislation to amend the state’s Constitution to abolish forced labor as punishment for those convicted of a crime. Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Brusly, said Wednesday language effectively protecting the institution of slavery “should never have been there in the first place.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union has joined the legal fight in federal court over the fate of Ka'Mauri Harrison, a Harvey fourth grader who was suspended for six days after a teacher saw him handle a BB gun during a virtual lesson.

Some of our most vulnerable students are facing abuse! Youngsville, LA Police are investigating alleged physical abuse of special education students at Southside High School, following a written complaint by a former substitute teacher. The allegations involve one Southside teacher, who is accused of grabbing, poking and slapping students. Additionally, former students allege 'toxic culture' of racism, abuse and assault at Louisiana Center for the Blind. Interviews Gambit conducted with former students at LCB paint a grim picture of alleged chronic racism, sexual assault, homophobia and transphobia, as well as often harsh “teaching” tactics which experts say could result in long-term psychological damage.

NATIONAL

Advocates in Maryland have just one week to get two critical bills passed: SB136 Juvenile Interrogation Protection Act and SB853 Juvenile Justice Reform. These measures would end the arrest of children and prohibit the incarceration of youth for low-level offenses, along with other critical reforms. If you know networks, colleagues, or partners in Maryland, please share this action alert.

Middle school is when most American children age into the criminal justice system – every state allows for the prosecution of children as young as 12, though most set the threshold earlier, or not at all – and suspension from school is predictive of incarceration later in life. And for Black, Native and Latino boys, research by the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights shows the impact to be especially severe. 

No child should be in prison, far away from the supports of their community, let alone be subject to solitary confinement. But Louisiana, along with many other states, are using incarceration and solitary confinement despite it being ineffective and harmful. Even doctors agree. Read this article, "I Survived 18 Years in Solitary Confinement," as well as this opinion from the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.