Featured| lakidsrights.org
Joshua Thompson-Rodriguez joined LCCR as our new Civil Legal Services Attorney in April of this year. With experience working with families in immigration law, Joshua has already had a significant impact on LCCR’s educational advocacy work.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
When Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, nearly 150 children were locked inside Orleans Parish Prison as floodwaters rose. Many had not been convicted of any crime. Trapped without food, water, or medical care, these young people endured days of fear, neglect, and abandonment before being evacuated to juvenile prisons across Louisiana. This report, originally […]| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
It’s been a great year here at LCCR. We served more than 700 kids between New Orleans and East Baton Rouge, defended against punitive policies like Amendment 3 and SB74, and launched our #ItTakesAVillageNOLA narrative change campaign. Click here to read about what your support helped us achieve in FY 2025.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
We first met “Lucia” as an 8th grader arrested for unauthorized use of a car and possession of a handgun. Lucia had been plagued by family troubles throughout her childhood and just wanted to feel accepted. Here's how we helped.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
LCCR’s policy team has been hard at work during the 2025 legislative session, working to defend against tough-on-crime policies and rollbacks that had the potential to harm Louisiana’s children. Throughout this session, LCCR tracked three bills that represented the greatest threat to youth justice reform. Here are the results that were achieved.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
Last year, Louisiana's Office of Juvenile Justice spent $165.6 million to operate the state’s prison system. Gov. Landry is now proposing spending $93 million more this year. Here are some better ways we can invest taxpayer dollars that will enhance public safety in Louisiana.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
This is the first article in our Staff Spotlight series, where we will interview staff to learn more about their background, skills, and motivation to do this essential work for kids in Louisiana. In this article, we will discuss Kisha’s work as a youth advocate and how her unique lived experience fuels her advocacy for our kids.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
In the 1990s, an academic named John Dilulio published an article describing the “superpredator.” He explained that a “moral poverty” in U.S. cities would result in a flood of 30,000 murderous teenagers, born criminals lacking in empathy or restraint. This gave a name to an existing societal fear of Black children. Today, with new laws passed to treat more kids like adults, more prisons being built to house them, and with harmful amendments being put on the ballot for voters, we can s...| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
We first met “Nadia” as an 8th grader arrested for theft under $1,000. Her crime? Simply being present when her friend was caught stealing a pack of gum. What could and should have been a teachable moment for two adolescent girls instead became a frightening legal ordeal. Here is how we helped.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
On April 3, LCCR welcomed more than 230 guests to our annual Celebration for Children’s Rights event. Collectively, we raised nearly $90,000 to fund our work with arrested and incarcerated youth in Louisiana. INCREDIBLE! Thank you!| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
We stand with kids| lakidsrights.org
Client Story| lakidsrights.org
LCCR’s fiscal year came to a close on June 30. Here’s a quick look at what your support helped accomplish.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
When we first met “Zoey,” she was a tenth grader struggling with a challenging home life. She was in constant conflict with her mother, who offered no guidance or boundaries and would kick her out. To escape this situation, Zoey would frequently run away. She would stay out all night with a group of teens that would hang out, joke around, smoke weed, and occasionally break into a car for money or a ride. This resulted in several arrests for Zoey. | Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
When we first met “Jaylah,” it was immediately clear how much she cared for her family – and how badly she wanted to be able to provide for them. At 17, Jaylah is a loving mother to two young children: a two-month-old and a three-year-old. But she was all on her own, with little to no guidance from the adults in her life.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
In February, the state legislature gathered for a mere ten day special session to create new laws aimed at decreasing “surging” crime in Louisiana—despite both violent and property crime having already dropped significantly in 2023. The session resulted in over a dozen bills being sent to the Governor’s desk for signature, including the elimination of parole and good time credits for incarcerated people, increased challenges for people who wish to contest wrongful convictions, and the...| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
We first met “Emmett” as a 12th grader shortly after his arrest at school for having a small amount of marijuana on him. As if an arrest for simple misbehavior weren’t destabilizing enough, his school was also pushing for expulsion.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
WOW! Just Wow! On March 21, LCCR welcomed more than 230 guests to our annual Celebration for Children’s Rights event–our biggest Celebration ever. Collectively, we raised a record-smashing $106,483 to fund our work with arrested and incarcerated youth in Louisiana. AMAZING! Thank you!| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
All photographs by Charles E. Leche| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
Last Monday, Shon Williams took the bus with one of our kids. “Jason” had recently been released from juvenile prison and was feeling nervous about catching the bus to get to his new job – after all, he hadn’t taken the bus in more than two years. Shon helped him figure out the best route to make sure he could get to work on time each day.| Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
We first met “Amaya” in 2020 as a sophomore in high school after she was arrested for her involvement in a high-profile carjacking. By the time LCCR was assigned her case, she had already been sentenced to 10 years in juvenile prison. | Louisiana Center for Children's Rights
