17-year-olds flooding detention centers causes change in juvenile law

Dawson Damico
·2 min read

(KLFY) — 16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhe spoke with News 10 about 17-year-olds once again being charged as adults in the eyes of the law, saying this was a necessary need for Louisiana as they overcrowded juvenile detention centers all across the state.

“That’s something that, as the district attorney’s, we were very concerned with and we raised our concerns that we didn’t have the infrastructure to handle the influx of additional 17-year-olds into that juvenile system,” Duhe said.

The housing issue started in pre-adjudicated juvenile detention facilities as a large number of 17-year-olds needed to be housed in centers with appropriate standards for minors. Those standards are having medical, education and more requirements necessary to hold them. When facilities in state became crowded, some were sent out of state costing the state a lot of money.

“There’s as little as maybe $275 per day to house a juvenile, up to $400 something per day to house a juvenile in an out of state facility,” Duhe said.

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According to Duhe, the juvenile homicide rate increased by 140% the first year 17-year-olds were put in the category; 70% of the crimes were committed by them which flooded facilities. The bill’s passing will free up the space needed to keep juvenile offenders in state.

“This would presumably be able to free up 50% of the beds available for juveniles that we can use which will lessen the stress that’s on the juvenile housing situation, pre-adjudication that currently exists.”

Duhe said the possibility of 17-year-olds being charged as juveniles again can only work if enough infrastructure across the state is built to hold them.

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