I worked there, at OJJ, for 9 years. I watched Bunkie get built from the dirt to the final day. It’s been a shit show since it’s inception. The building was supposed to be completed in something like 2014-2015. Budget cuts made it sit empty for years. When it was finally ready to go and be funded, the building was a mess. They had to raise the sally port roof, it was too low and trucks hit it on the way out. They had to change the air conditioning because it glitched out and swapped to heat randomly. Fences were built too close together (which led to its first ever escape). The director and high level people were kept around for years but quit because they didn’t get the job they were promised.
It wasn’t opened until 2019 to receive the first kids. By then we weren’t under livers anymore but under a new secretary who actually seemed to give a shit about his employees. Livers was OK but she could be really difficult on her employees; I do feel like however part of that was the Jindal administration so I don’t harbor ill will toward her. We did well under Bueche. He got us safety and always had our back. Kids got fair but firm treatment always under the law and best practices. Yes he was in corrections for years but he *started out in juvenile justice as a parole officer*. He worked his way up the ranks and earned his doctorate. What happened to him was universally unfair. I won’t speak on it but someone screwed him over. We then got Dusty Bickham. He wasn’t bad but he was only the interim. He didn’t want to make major changes because he was only temporary. COVID hit.
Then we got sommers. This has been the nightmare from hell. He promotes only the most loyal of the state mafia. Friends he has known for years through calcasieu or other areas - not whose best for the job. Created phony positions for his lackeys. He has absolutely no vision. None.
That whole “system” that Senator Cloud made up? Yeah that was already in place. I should know I taught courses on it. We already separated kids by risk. By nature, all kids in secure are high risk. That system is just a joke that sommers is using to delay. Why do you think he has had an assistant secretary retire? And most of his staff quit? He’s an idiot. He promises things he can’t deliver and speaks on things he doesn’t understand. He has absolutely no plans what so ever to get the places staffed. Probation and parole has been working there for almost 3 years now in addition to their regular duties. It’s a shame and a travesty. I have seen high level and low level employees take years and decades of experience out the door. I have seen employees take *thousands* of dollars a year in pay cuts to take other jobs just to feel safe and appreciated.
It’s absolute hell there. I thank God every day that they ran me off. I often send my friends still there messages of me waving from other places with the note “miss me yet?”
That agency is fucked and needs to be torn down from the top down and rebuilt. Fire everyone and make them reinterview for their jobs.
Whatever the paper says, it’s worse. You don’t get the whole story.
Oh my. Thanks for your input. I have been looking for input specifically on ACY because i havent found any reviews from anyone who works there. I was considering a position there. But it sounds like I better not. If u don't mind sharing what are the shifts? And what is the overtime compensation? Thank u
Overtime - right *now* I think they are paying overtime at 1.5 rate but historically they don’t pay. I worked there 9 years and in the 9 years I worked there I only got paid a handful of times. Once the crisis mode is over, they will go back to what is known as k-time or time you can take off if you would like to.
As far as shifts I can ask some folks who still work there. Last I heard it was 8 hour shifts; morn, afternoon, night. But sometimes they go to 12 hrs just depends on the needs and leadership at the time. I’ve seen both.
Ok that would be grately appreciated. I'm considering it for different reasons.. the pay being one of them but im not trying to set myself up for a complete hell hole. I have worked in a adult jail before but I do understand this is juveniles. Also how often have you seen where people get called in or have to work overtime?
Almost every day. Recently it’s gotten a little better but historically, overtime or getting called in is routine. I’ve seen people held over for hours too waiting on relief. It happens quite a bit.
The title says it all . All the problems listed right there and it’s not brawls, shanks, crawling in ceiling——/Problem=BUNKIE’S YOUTH PRISON. I unfortunately married a man from Avoyelles and spent 2 years working at the local hospital. Bunkie High ? Wanna know what their educational plans were based on ? Waiting till kids were 16 and drop outs then they did not have to deal with the troublemakers anymore. I had a relative who taught there. I got out as fast as I could. Since when did it become “prisons” for minors? And given there educational track record at the high school —-nevermind I am certain quite a few hands got greased with this- now it makes sense
Granted, Avoyelles has serious problems (I have family in Cottonport and Bunkie). But I don’t think this was about Bunkie or Avoyelles. It just happens to be where this failed facility - one of many - is located.
Yes I do agree with you that this is just one of many of these types of programs that have been failing for years and personally I believe the whole approach or philosophy is wrong.
But as someone who lived in Cottonport and both myself and my husband worked at the local hospital. Now this was many years ago but still with family in area and from what I’ve seen it just has gotten worse. We chose to leave when our kids started school just a couple years before Charter school which essentially is just white flight legal segregation. Leaving the already hard hit public schools even worse off. charter drained teachers and students. We tried to live there bc it’s my husband’s hometown but most all our generation left within 10 years. And what kind of staff do you think wants to come live in Bunkie for that job? And one last thing out jobs were such we mingled with the “elite” and I guarantee probably 30-40% of funding went in somebody’s pockets. It’s sad but true
I know you’re right about Avoyelles and it makes me sad. Mom is from Cottonport. I grew up in New Orleans and Avoyelles was an idyllic place for me when I was little. I loved it there. Granted, I never lived there, and maybe it was always this bad and I was just a naive kid from what may have been one of those more “elite” families back in the day. But now its mostly gone. Anyway, I bet we know a lot of the same people :)
I am sure if not me, my husband does his family goes back generations there. His dad still speaks Cajun French. My husband or should say soon ex husband doctors in Marksville now. I remember when he first brought me to Cottonport, his mom and dad and later we as well lived on the bayou. I thought it was so pretty. But we had to leave when the kids started school. My husband went to St. Joe and I don’t even know if it is still open. Married at Church of Little Flower and had beautiful reception at the big plantation just before Bunkie (can’t remember name damn menopause). But now I have heard that Cottonport has gotten so bad some older people especially women are scared to go to dollar general store. Poor leadership for too long (💊🩺💸👓👀 yes I am looking at you ghost Hines)
> They investigated and found a "tattoo gun that's operated by their Playstation," according to an internal report
JFC, I have to hand it to the kids, that's pretty damned clever.
The Missouri Model may work for some, but it had been proven time and time again that it doesn't work here. Not for the masses. I have seen it succed with the younger kids. Not so much over 16. (These kids are separated by age.)
When the convicted kids have more rights than the free adults who work there, there will be problems.
non-paywall: https://archive.ph/KHsPY
I worked there, at OJJ, for 9 years. I watched Bunkie get built from the dirt to the final day. It’s been a shit show since it’s inception. The building was supposed to be completed in something like 2014-2015. Budget cuts made it sit empty for years. When it was finally ready to go and be funded, the building was a mess. They had to raise the sally port roof, it was too low and trucks hit it on the way out. They had to change the air conditioning because it glitched out and swapped to heat randomly. Fences were built too close together (which led to its first ever escape). The director and high level people were kept around for years but quit because they didn’t get the job they were promised. It wasn’t opened until 2019 to receive the first kids. By then we weren’t under livers anymore but under a new secretary who actually seemed to give a shit about his employees. Livers was OK but she could be really difficult on her employees; I do feel like however part of that was the Jindal administration so I don’t harbor ill will toward her. We did well under Bueche. He got us safety and always had our back. Kids got fair but firm treatment always under the law and best practices. Yes he was in corrections for years but he *started out in juvenile justice as a parole officer*. He worked his way up the ranks and earned his doctorate. What happened to him was universally unfair. I won’t speak on it but someone screwed him over. We then got Dusty Bickham. He wasn’t bad but he was only the interim. He didn’t want to make major changes because he was only temporary. COVID hit. Then we got sommers. This has been the nightmare from hell. He promotes only the most loyal of the state mafia. Friends he has known for years through calcasieu or other areas - not whose best for the job. Created phony positions for his lackeys. He has absolutely no vision. None. That whole “system” that Senator Cloud made up? Yeah that was already in place. I should know I taught courses on it. We already separated kids by risk. By nature, all kids in secure are high risk. That system is just a joke that sommers is using to delay. Why do you think he has had an assistant secretary retire? And most of his staff quit? He’s an idiot. He promises things he can’t deliver and speaks on things he doesn’t understand. He has absolutely no plans what so ever to get the places staffed. Probation and parole has been working there for almost 3 years now in addition to their regular duties. It’s a shame and a travesty. I have seen high level and low level employees take years and decades of experience out the door. I have seen employees take *thousands* of dollars a year in pay cuts to take other jobs just to feel safe and appreciated. It’s absolute hell there. I thank God every day that they ran me off. I often send my friends still there messages of me waving from other places with the note “miss me yet?” That agency is fucked and needs to be torn down from the top down and rebuilt. Fire everyone and make them reinterview for their jobs. Whatever the paper says, it’s worse. You don’t get the whole story.
Oh my. Thanks for your input. I have been looking for input specifically on ACY because i havent found any reviews from anyone who works there. I was considering a position there. But it sounds like I better not. If u don't mind sharing what are the shifts? And what is the overtime compensation? Thank u
Overtime - right *now* I think they are paying overtime at 1.5 rate but historically they don’t pay. I worked there 9 years and in the 9 years I worked there I only got paid a handful of times. Once the crisis mode is over, they will go back to what is known as k-time or time you can take off if you would like to. As far as shifts I can ask some folks who still work there. Last I heard it was 8 hour shifts; morn, afternoon, night. But sometimes they go to 12 hrs just depends on the needs and leadership at the time. I’ve seen both.
Ok that would be grately appreciated. I'm considering it for different reasons.. the pay being one of them but im not trying to set myself up for a complete hell hole. I have worked in a adult jail before but I do understand this is juveniles. Also how often have you seen where people get called in or have to work overtime?
Almost every day. Recently it’s gotten a little better but historically, overtime or getting called in is routine. I’ve seen people held over for hours too waiting on relief. It happens quite a bit.
Ok and how is it like requesting time off?
I can ask.
Thank you so much!
The title says it all . All the problems listed right there and it’s not brawls, shanks, crawling in ceiling——/Problem=BUNKIE’S YOUTH PRISON. I unfortunately married a man from Avoyelles and spent 2 years working at the local hospital. Bunkie High ? Wanna know what their educational plans were based on ? Waiting till kids were 16 and drop outs then they did not have to deal with the troublemakers anymore. I had a relative who taught there. I got out as fast as I could. Since when did it become “prisons” for minors? And given there educational track record at the high school —-nevermind I am certain quite a few hands got greased with this- now it makes sense
Granted, Avoyelles has serious problems (I have family in Cottonport and Bunkie). But I don’t think this was about Bunkie or Avoyelles. It just happens to be where this failed facility - one of many - is located.
Yes I do agree with you that this is just one of many of these types of programs that have been failing for years and personally I believe the whole approach or philosophy is wrong. But as someone who lived in Cottonport and both myself and my husband worked at the local hospital. Now this was many years ago but still with family in area and from what I’ve seen it just has gotten worse. We chose to leave when our kids started school just a couple years before Charter school which essentially is just white flight legal segregation. Leaving the already hard hit public schools even worse off. charter drained teachers and students. We tried to live there bc it’s my husband’s hometown but most all our generation left within 10 years. And what kind of staff do you think wants to come live in Bunkie for that job? And one last thing out jobs were such we mingled with the “elite” and I guarantee probably 30-40% of funding went in somebody’s pockets. It’s sad but true
I know you’re right about Avoyelles and it makes me sad. Mom is from Cottonport. I grew up in New Orleans and Avoyelles was an idyllic place for me when I was little. I loved it there. Granted, I never lived there, and maybe it was always this bad and I was just a naive kid from what may have been one of those more “elite” families back in the day. But now its mostly gone. Anyway, I bet we know a lot of the same people :)
I am sure if not me, my husband does his family goes back generations there. His dad still speaks Cajun French. My husband or should say soon ex husband doctors in Marksville now. I remember when he first brought me to Cottonport, his mom and dad and later we as well lived on the bayou. I thought it was so pretty. But we had to leave when the kids started school. My husband went to St. Joe and I don’t even know if it is still open. Married at Church of Little Flower and had beautiful reception at the big plantation just before Bunkie (can’t remember name damn menopause). But now I have heard that Cottonport has gotten so bad some older people especially women are scared to go to dollar general store. Poor leadership for too long (💊🩺💸👓👀 yes I am looking at you ghost Hines)
Anyone got a paywall-bypass link?
https://archive.ph/KHsPY
Mucho gracias
Yeah one sec
> They investigated and found a "tattoo gun that's operated by their Playstation," according to an internal report JFC, I have to hand it to the kids, that's pretty damned clever.
The Missouri Model may work for some, but it had been proven time and time again that it doesn't work here. Not for the masses. I have seen it succed with the younger kids. Not so much over 16. (These kids are separated by age.) When the convicted kids have more rights than the free adults who work there, there will be problems.
I'm not subscribing to the advocate.
https://archive.ph/KHsPY