Damon Baldone: Models for Change Profile of the Month
Nov 3, 2010, Louisiana Models for Change
Louisiana District 53 State Representative Damon Baldone from Houma, Louisiana
As a Louisiana state representative, Baldone has garnered a reputation for handling tough issues related to crime and the justice system. In fact, Baldone is the current Vice-Chair of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee in the Louisiana House. He says these various experiences have given him the opportunity and ability to understand people’s concerns and share their interests.
Representative Baldone’s leadership and commitment to working on juvenile justice reform is to be commended. He understands the need for standardized reform measures for youth in the state’s detention centers. The critical need for detention reform led him to get in contact with the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative in Louisiana, where Baldone says he found people who were ready and willing to offer him the information he needed. Baldone relied on local experts, including the Louisiana Models for Change lead entity, to learn the impact policies have on the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
What is your “story” in terms of your involvement in juvenile justice?
“I’ve been involved with criminal justice for the past 10 years or so in the legislature, and have been a practicing attorney for 17 years,” says Baldone. “And some of the people I’ve represented were juvenile offenders. So, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work for these youth and their communities.”
“I know there needs to be significant reform for youth, post-adjudication,” says Baldone. “Without the proper help or treatment as a minor, there is more often a chance that these youth will become ‘problem’ adults. The important thing is that these young people receive treatment services early on, which will only serve to help them later in life.”
How did you become involved with Louisiana Models for Change?
“I visited the state of Missouri about three years ago, and saw its Missouri Model of juvenile justice,” he explains. “In Missouri, they turn around lives, they save money and they have the results to prove it. I immediately thought Louisiana should be emulating some of those programs.
What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment from your collaboration with Models for Change?
“Louisiana Models for Change, along with the New Orleans-based reform advocacy group The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL), helped me understand the issues and identified best practices. They took the time to educate me on the ins and outs of juvenile justice.”
“So, now we have Act 863, enacted this past summer during the Louisiana regular legislative session. It outlines the development of ‘best-practice standards’ for juvenile detention facilities, and provides a firm time line over the next three years for monitoring, oversight and licensing requirements across the state.
“To put things in perspective, standards for Louisiana detention centers have not been updated in 13 years, and the state stopped licensing the facilities 10 years ago. This has led to a vast disparity among centers across the state, with some working well, while others have been oppressed by problems and costly litigation. Creating uniform standards for juvenile detention centers and ensuring that those centers are properly regulated will go a long way toward providing safety, security and a better quality of care for the youth of Louisiana.”
What do you think will be the long-term impact of your contributions to Models for Change and to the local community?
“I think the impact will be significant. We took a big first step in bringing about significant change to the juvenile justice system that will go a long way toward providing a better quality of care for the youth in Louisiana.”
“I’m also a strong supporter of working toward creating a juvenile justice system that holds young offenders accountable for their actions, provides for their rehabilitation, protects them from harm, increases their life chances and manages the risks they pose to themselves and to the public. Louisiana Models for Change endorses those same reform goals. I think our collaborative efforts serve as a huge step in the right direction for juvenile justice reform in Louisiana.”
What is your take-away message any final thoughts or messages?
Baldone says, “I think with the legislation I carried this year, we have taken a big step to put in place deadlines and goals over the next three years, to get Louisiana’s juvenile justice system moving faster in the right direction.”
- Issues
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Evidence-based practices
, Right-sizing jurisdiction
- States
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Louisiana