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Acadiana Center for Youth (ACY) is under construction on a site in the town of Bunkie, Avoyelles Parish. The facility is being constructed by M. D. Descant, Inc., a Bunkie construction company selected through the state bid process. Construction began in August 2014. The facility opened in April 2018.
The site is just off U.S. Hwy. 71 at Bordelon Road. It sits on 20 acres formerly in agricultural use.ACY will be a state-of-the-art secure therapeutic treatment center for youth and will be Louisiana’s first facility built specifically to accommodate LAMOD, the therapeutic treatment model in place in all of OJJ’s facilities. LAMOD, the Louisiana Model for Secure Care, is based on the highly-respected “Missouri Model,” which incorporates therapy and family involvement for juvenile delinquents. ACY will house up to 72 youth requiring intensive treatment in a therapeutic, secure environment.
ACY will primarily serve youth and families in the southwestern area of the state. Youth will be able to receive services closer to home, with greater opportunities for meaningful family involvement and community re-integration. Research shows that youth whose families participate in their treatment are more successfully rehabilitated; they are more likely to re-integrate successfully into their communities; are less likely to re-offend; and more likely to remain in their communities as productive, wage-earning, tax-paying adults.
The facility will comprise nine buildings, including administration, housing units, gymnasium, a school with classrooms and a vocational-technical area, a kitchen and dining hall and maintenance buildings. Included on the site will be a soccer field and outdoor basketball court. A state-of-the-art, 12-foot tall arched barrier (“candy cane”) no-climb fence will encircle the perimeter.
Upon arrival to a secure care facility, the admission staff records the youth’s arrival, signs for the physical custody of the youth, and the Probation and Parole Officer (PPO) provides facility staff with information regarding the youth. A general search of the youth and his/her possessions is conducted and inventoried by facility staff.
At admission, education, medical and mental health staff interview and evaluate each youth. They conduct comprehensive assessments of his/her educational level and medical and psychological conditions.
A treatment plan is developed for each youth based on his/her needs. Parents are contacted and encouraged to participate in developing their child’s education and treatment plan.
All youth are given an Orientation Handbook, and a copy of the Administrative Remedy Procedure policy, a Youth Care Manual, Pledge for Safety booklet, and a Code of Conduct Handbook. They are then allowed to review and discuss these items with a caseworker.
A multidisciplinary team staffing is held at the facility and takes place within seven (7) working days of the youth’s admission. The youth’s PPO, the youth’s parent/guardian, the youth, and other facility staff are present during this staffing. The results of the youth’s assessments are discussed at the staffing. The Initial Treatment Plan (ITP) is completed, and the youth is assigned to appropriate housing, based on his initial screening and staff observations. After the youth transfers to his/her assigned housing unit, he/she is oriented into the housing unit.
While youth is in Secure Placement, PPO, facility staff and the parent(s)/guardian(s) work together in other to ensure positive outcomes for the youth.
Juvenile facilities overseen by the State of Louisiana do not publish the names of the offenders housed in their facility. As such, there is no public forum for this information.
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Support from family members is very important to the treatment process. Visits from family motivate and inspire youth to participate in programming and meet the goals of his treatment plan, which may result in an earlier release date. Visitation times have been set by each facility. Special visits and videoconferences due to transportation or other issues can be arranged through the facility or regional office.
Youth in secure care create a visitor list with help from his case manager or counselor. To ensure safety at the visitation, potential visitors must provide basic information and submit to a criminal history check and be granted visitation rights prior to visiting youth. More information on this process can be obtained from secure care facilities.
OJJ’s Policy C.2.8 Youth Visitation in Secure Facilities provides information on visitation for families. Approved visitors may include a spouse, parent, guardian, custodian of the youth, grandparent, sister/brother (includes step-siblings and half-siblings), biological child or any member of the immediate family. A youth may have only 3 visitors at a time; infants are included as a visitor. Siblings and biological children under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult on the approved visiting list. Permission to visit may be denied to any individual and visitation suspended in the event of an emergency at the facility
There are some general rules applicable to all visitors when visiting a secure facility. If a visitor has not received a copy of these rules/procedures prior to visiting a copy should be requested from a facility employee and reviewed prior to entering onto the facility grounds to visit a youth.
VISITORS WHO VIOLATE THE FOLLOWING RULES REGARDING CONTRABAND MAY BE PROSECUTED UNDER LA. R.S. 14:402 OF THE LOUISIANA CRIMINAL CODE.
Possession of Contraband is not allowed. A visitor to a secure facility shall not introduce or possess the following on facility grounds: unauthorized currency or cash, food, toiletries or clothing not authorized by the Facility Director, intoxicating liquors, tobacco products, weapons, drug paraphernalia, pornographic material, explosives, unauthorized telecommunications equipment, electronics, tape recorders, cameras or camcorders and substances defined in the Uniform Control Dangerous Substance Law.
Visitors are not allowed to give money directly to youth during visitation. Money for a youth must be given to a designated OJJ facility staff to be recorded and processed. OJJ staff will process the money into the youth’s personal account. Money is not to exceed $100.00. Money orders are not accepted during visitation.
ATTORNEY VISITS
Youth shall be provided reasonable and confidential access to their attorneys and/or authorized legal representatives. Procedures for setting up such visits are outlined in C.1.4 Attorney Visits.
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