From a press release
Earlier this month, City officials joined Orleans Parish Juvenile Court Judges and representatives from FEMA to celebrate the opening of the new $47 million New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center, 1100 Milton St.
Funding for the project came from FEMA recovery dollars, insurance, City bonds and Law Enforcement District bonds.
The 59,000 square foot facility serves as the home of Orleans Parish Juvenile Court and includes spaces for juvenile-related services from the Orleans Parish District Attorney and Public Defender’s office. Additional spaces include a New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) juvenile reception center, which will serve as the central port for new detained juvenile and current detainees to move between their facilities into the court system.
The New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center campus also includes the New Orleans Youth Study Center, the City’s secure detention facility for juveniles awaiting trial. The New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center campus is located at 1100 Milton St. in the St. Bernard neighborhood.
“The New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center is a sign that we are bringing our juvenile justice system into the 21st century and moving our city forward,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “This state-of-the-art facility follows national best practices and brings all elements of our juvenile justice system into one campus. As one of my administration’s committed capital projects, the New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center exemplifies the hard work put in by so many to ensure that our justice-involved youth have every opportunity to turn their lives around in a safe environment.”
The New Orleans Juvenile Justice Center supports operations 24 hours a day, provides detention housing, kitchens, dining space, indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, education spaces, an open courtyard, and administrative and training spaces. The Center also provides spaces on the three-building campus for the District Attorney’s office, Public Defender’s office, and various juvenile-related services and programs.
Chief Juvenile Court Judge Candice Bates-Anderson said it was an honor to be a “part of history for our great city.”
“The new juvenile justice center ushers our city in the direction of better services and care for the youth and families of New Orleans. The Judges and staff of juvenile court are grateful to be a part of this new era.”
The new state-of-the-art campus also consists of the New Orleans Youth Study Center, which replaced the temporary Youth Study Center that opened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Youth Study Center is a holding facility for pre-adjudicated youth and is designed to provide all staff, visitors and detained youth with a safe environment that prioritizes the particular needs of youth. All youth at the New Orleans Youth Study Center have individual rooms for sleeping, access to classroom-based education, access to recreation and family visits as well as access to quality medical care, including mental health.
Glenn D. Holt, superintendent of the New Orleans Youth Study Center, said, “The new facility allows us to provide quality evidence-based programming in a secure and safe environment. Each youth receives quality services from a highly professional and committed staff. The New Orleans Youth Study Center provides the highest quality of care and programming to at-risk youth in our community.”
