In 2004 act 555 mandated that all parishes in Louisiana have a children youth and planning board--that was 18 years ago and Lafayette still does not have one.
Jennifer Landry, Chapter Lead for Family and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children said "You're in a position and i'm reaching out to people that are in position to be able to do something some of these people deal with youth so if i'm bringing awareness to you that this is what we need for the youth and youre not responding back what is that saying but the problem that were facing is that no one even knows about the law."
The board should consist of 11 to 25 members including juvenile judges and probation officers, who come up with plans to make sure they youth have positive youth development, career plans, diversion from criminal justice, reduction of youth in state institutions and provide community response to the youth.
Chad Landry, Chapter Lead for Family and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children said, "What we tend to do especially in Louisiana instead of teach the kids you know if your kid wants learn how to tie their shoes we teach them if our kid wants to learn how to cook we teach them but whenever they act out on their emotions don't know how to deal with their emotions we want to punish them and that's what tends to happen that's what happened to me with the system and we want to raise awareness that the way to transform the system is through empathy, through understanding, through teaching, and through love."
Chad Landry knows well about youth development.
Chad Landry, Chapter Lead for Family and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children said, " I been through the system I started out at 16 getting incarcerated then that led me to youth after youth then adult prison at 18 and after 40 arrest 3 time in the penitentiary the turning factor for me was love the unconditional love and support that my wife showed me and that's the same type of unconditional and love and empathy and support that we start to show the youth."
I reached out to the Lafayette juvenile judge courthouse to ask about the children youth and planning board and their response was to contact the Lafayette probation office when I reached out to they were unavailable to speak at the time.
