Stepping toward justice

My big bro (aka The Good Lawyer) has spent the last few months working with the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL) to author and publish a report about the treatment of juvenile detainees during and after Hurricane Katrina. I recently had a chance to read the report, and the experiences described by these kids are truly horrifying.

Many of these teenagers, including two pregnant girls, went for days without food, water, and medical attention. They suffered tremendous physical pain and psychological trauma. The report, mostly in their own words, is a disturbing and powerful call to action. It leaves no doubt that Louisiana's juvenile justice system was in dire straits before this natural disaster, and the state's incompetence during the hurricane exponentially worsened Katrina's impact on these already underserved youth.

The one upside is that the report was released to the public yesterday and has begun to garner national attention for the deep-rooted and pervasive problems with the state's justice system. If any good comes from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, it will lie in the public spotlight and resulting outrage that will—if there is any justice—force city and state officials to take action.

Thanks and kudos to my brother and his colleagues at JJPL for their efforts on behalf on the children and young adults of Louisiana.

Read more about the report, “Treated Like Trash: Juvenile Detention in New Orleans Before, During and After Hurricane Katrina,” in The New York Times and New Orleans CityBusiness. The story has also been picked up by the wire and is appearing in other newspapers across the country.