Caddo Parish juvenile services reports 422 admissions in 2025; officials emphasize prevention and rehabilitative programs

Andrew Randall, director of Juvenile Services, told the Caddo Parish Commission's Juvenile Justice Committee on Feb. 19 that the parish's juvenile detention center recorded 422 admissions in 2025 and that the agency is expanding rehabilitative programs to reduce repeat offending.

Randall said the detention center operates with a 24‑bed capacity. "The juvenile detention center is a 24‑bed facility," he told commissioners, and the facility provides schooling and therapeutic programming while youth are in custody.

Randall gave a breakdown of 2025 admissions: 422 total, including 132 females and 290 males. He said the top five admission reasons were simple burglary (29 admissions), illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile (25), domestic battery (24), theft of a motor vehicle (20), and runaway (17). Randall noted that admission counts do not capture the full context of individual cases, and that charging decisions — including whether a youth is tried as an adult — are made by the district attorney's office.

The director described in‑facility and community programming intended to prevent future involvement with the justice system. Those programs include drama and art therapy, life‑skills training, sports and athletic camps, a residence leadership council for youth, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner to support mental‑health needs. He also highlighted partnerships to expand opportunities for youth, including a cyber laboratory partnership with LSU Shreveport and a planned exposure to flight simulation through a Southern University aviation program.

Commissioners pressed Randall on precharge assistance and the juvenile‑to‑adult charging process. He said the department fields calls from families seeking help before charges are filed and often refers them to mentoring organizations. Randall also described a drug‑court component and family‑preservation court that address substance‑use and adult caregiver issues.

On gender trends, Randall presented five years of admission data showing a decline in total admissions but a growing share of female admissions. He said female admissions rose to 31.9 percent in the most recent year from lower shares in prior years.

Randall invited commissioners to visit the juvenile court and detention center to learn more about services and staffing.

The committee did not take formal action on juvenile services during the meeting; Randall's presentation was provided as an informational update.