Louisiana juvenile justice system costs grow as state locks up more youth

By: Julie O'Donoghue

Outlets: Louisiana Illuminator

Published: February 24, 2026

Words: 1,204

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 2 days ago

Body Text Preview

The costs of running Louisiana’s juvenile justice system surged over the past seven years as elected officials decided to keep more teens and young adults in youth prisons.

Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposed budget for the Office of Juvenile Justice during the 2026-27 fiscal year is $226.6 million. That’s approaching twice as much as the $121.2 million spent in 2018-19, the last full budget cycle of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ first term in office.

…

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us