Rep. Richmond Announces Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program Grants in New Orleans

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02) announced over $300K in Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP) grants to be distributed to the Housing Authority of New Orleans and South Louisiana Legal Services to address the housing and employment challenges facing youth involved in the juvenile justice system:

“America’s juvenile justice system is broken,” said Rep. Richmond. “The unfair restrictions and exclusions we place on young people do nothing to make us safer. In fact, these policies have the opposite effect. By providing reliable housing and the opportunity to get a good job we can reduce recidivism and give young men and women a real opportunity to be successful. That should be our goal.

I applaud the administration for providing these resources to improve outcomes for youth in New Orleans and throughout the country.”

To  help reduce collateral consequences associated with a juvenile or criminal record, JRAP assists young people up to age 24 residing in public housing, or who would be residing in public housing but for their record, by:

• Expunging, Sealing, and/or Correcting Juvenile or Adult Records; as permitted by State law;
• Assisting targeted youth in mitigating/preventing collateral consequences such as, reinstating revoked or suspended drivers’ licenses;
• Counseling regarding legal rights and obligations in searching for employment;
• Providing guidance for readmission to school; and
• Creating or modifying child support orders and other family law services, and more.

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