Calcasieu Parish Office of Juvenile Justice Services
The Calcasieu Parish Office of Juvenile Justice Services facility serves 38 youth offenders across five housing pods as well as Juvenile Services offices and operations.
The facility is securely organized around a large interior courtyard, ensuring that natural light reaches all housing areas and offices and providing a secure perimeter. A centralized control room negates the need for exterior fencing, making the campus feel less like a detention complex and offering a more holistic approach to security and supervision.
Areas for youth offenders include a large contact visitation space, a half-court gym, a learning center with classrooms and multipurpose spaces, a kitchen and dining area, a medical suite, ample property storage and an intake area which accommodates three Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument rooms.
Project Size: 57,000 square feet
Location: Lake Charles, LA
Creating A Shared Space
In addition to youth housing, the facility also includes Office of Juvenile Services operations related to probation, drug court, social services/truancy, and mental health and assessment.
Designing Clear Sight-lines
In addition to softening the facility and providing natural light, large windows and expansive glass walls along the inward-facing spaces allow officials to easily observe all areas.
Progressive Design
The design team set out to not only embrace, but advance, progressive trends in juvenile justice design.
Creating A Better Environment
Instead of feeling cold or punitive, the complex prioritizes the wellbeing of juvenile residents — creating a better environment for families and employees.
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