As Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education calls for school systems to “recommit to assertive discipline” and zero tolerance policies, it’s reassuring to know that there are everyday champions working to keep kids in school and prevent them from being pulled into the youth incarceration system. …

Did you know that the federal government signed a law in 2015 to make state education systems more accountable as to how students are disciplined? The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced the No Child Left Behind Act and provided states with greater flexibility in…

In response to news of the legislature’s approval of the Governor’s appointment of Kenneth “Kenny” Loftin as head of the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ), Gina Womack, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), issued the following statement: “We…

In response to the advancement of legislative proposals during the special session on crime and public safety, Gina Womack, the Executive Director and Co-founder of Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), issued the following statement: “We are appalled at the proposed bills that…

In response to news about a transition in leadership at the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ), Gina Womack, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), issued the following statement: “We are clear on what we want to see from…

Marcus Patterson was twelve years old when he was first pushed out of school and cut off from the resources, activities, and community he needed to thrive as a kid. Now, after years of surviving the youth incarceration system then the adult system, Marcus is…