SHREVEPORT, LA. (KTAL/KMSS) — The Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ), responsible for finding supervision and secure care for delinquents, announced it will not extend its long-standing contract for secure care of female youth with the Ware Center for Youth (WCY) in Coushatta to save funds.

In a media statement, they stated that as a result, the OOJ had completed the temporary transfer of those female youth in secure care at Ware to the state-run Acadiana Center for Youth in St. Martinville (ACY).

“OJJ has the ability to serve our secure care female youth without continuing this contract with Ware, and doing so will save funds,” said Office of Juvenile Justice Deputy Secretary Curtis Nelson.

At the Coushatta facility, they offered 34 beds for male and female youth aged 10 to 16 years and an array of educational programs.

The female youth will continue their studies with blended learning per school day and individualized counseling services; the male youth will be relocated to other OJJ secure care facilities earlier this week as they were previously housed at the ACY.

ACY has an array of programs, from required 360 Minutes of Blended Learning/Academic Classes, individualized academic counseling, and pathways for individualized interests (TOPS High School Diploma, TOPS Tech (Jumpstart), or HiSET (equivalent to GED).

The contract will expire on Friday, September 30.

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