§ 15:945 — Program design

§945. Program design
A. The commission shall establish the program application and award process,
including but not limited to the following items:
(1) The requirements for initial and renewal grant applications, including the
following:
(a) The requirement that the children and youth planning board within each judicial
district will be responsible for grant application and implementation for that judicial district.
In the event that a group of judicial districts apply jointly, each children and youth planning
board within the group of judicial districts shall indicate in writing its consent to the
application, and all applicant districts together shall designate a committee of persons who
shall be responsible for the grant application and implementation.
(b) A description of the proposed program region and the juvenile justice need the
program is intended to meet.
(c) A description of how the proposed program collaborates with schools, courts,
private entities serving children and families, the office of juvenile justice, and local
governmental departments or divisions of juvenile services.
(d) A description of performance measures to be utilized to measure the outcome and
overall impact of the program.
(2) The procedure for review of the grant applications and the award of the grants
including the following:
(a) A committee that includes subject matter experts to review the applications.
(b) Criteria to be utilized in awarding the grants, including but not limited to the
following:
(i) The use of evidence-based practices in program design.
(ii) How the program reduces the use of out-of-home placements.
(iii) How the program reduces recidivism.
(iv) How the program establishes or utilizes educational, vocational, substance
abuse, behavioral health, mental health, or family intervention services, and local alternatives
to detention.
(v) Whether grant funds will be used to leverage existing funding resources or
increase access to existing resources.
(vi) Geographical distribution.
(vii) The number of youth potentially served by the program or service.
(viii) The cost of the program or service.
(ix) The existence of similar services in the judicial district.
(3) The criteria for renewal of a grant awarded by the program, provided that:
(a) Such criteria shall include a twenty percent reduction in the relevant applicant's
detention admissions, commitments to the office of juvenile justice, or a combination
thereof, as compared to the applicant's baseline.
(b) If an applicant meets the reductions required in this Subsection, the applicant may
be considered for grant renewal. Grants are not guaranteed to be renewed, and an application
shall be submitted for consideration of renewal.
(c) If the applicant has substantially complied with the requirements of the program,
but has not attained the reductions required in this Subsection, the applicant may apply for
a grant renewal if there is a fifteen percent reduction in detention admissions, commitments
to the office of juvenile justice, or a combination thereof during year one as compared to the
applicant's baseline.
(d) Detentions and office of juvenile justice commitments for crimes of violence as
specified in R.S. 14:2 shall not be counted in the calculation of reductions for a judicial
district.
B. A judicial district or group of districts may apply for the program until its
population of detention admissions and office of juvenile justice commitments is reduced by
sixty percent as compared to the applicant's baseline, if the judicial district meets the
reductions described in Subsection A of this Section, the district may continue to apply for
funding if the required reductions are maintained.

Legislative History

Acts 2016, No. 499, §1.