LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A new program called R.I.S.E. is now in place at the Lafayette Parish Juvenile Detention Home in an attempt to reduce recidivism and occupy idle time.
Louisiana’s juvenile incarceration rate is nearly double the national average, according to The Southern Poverty Law Center. The juvenile detention home has introduced a new program called R.I.S.E. (Reformative Instruction and Skills Enhancement) with the goal of reducing the number of juveniles who are re-incarcerated after release.
Arsenio Andrus works as the Training and Compliance Coordinator at the Lafayette Parish Juvenile Detention Home.
“The youth here at this facility are children,” Andrus said. “With that being said, they have the potential to change and grow. With proper tools and resources, we can impact their lives.”
Andrus said the R.I.S.E. program is different than other educational courses because it takes a holistic approach to academics, including mindfulness and emotional regulation classes to the curriculum.
“This program is new,” Andrus said. “It’s only been implemented for about three weeks, but we are seeing benefits and changes and growth within our youth.” “The main goal is to combat idle time and recidivism,” Andrus said. “We want to give the youth that leave the tools and resources necessary not to come back here.”
One of these tools is allowing students to obtain the HiSET credential, which is comparable to a high school diploma. This will provide a number of opportunities for career progression, including military service, higher education, and trade certification. The juvenile detention institution intends to eventually integrate trade certifications in the R.I.S.E. curriculum.
“The youth here do go to school every day,” Andrus said. “However, we found that some of the kids, the 16 and 17-year-olds, may have been out of school for a very long time. Some of them only went to the ninth grade, so we wanted to give them a different avenue or alternative to get them their HiSET.”
This is a promising new project that everyone is excited to see blossom into a prosperous endeavor for Lafayette's youth.