[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6087327,"mediaKeyId","2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1","parentId",2890983,"title","Appropriations hears plan to reopen Jensen as juvenile reception center; OJJ seeks 77 staff and $15.4 million operational funding","audioSeconds",351,"startMs",6901000,"endMs",7252000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1&start=6901&end=7252","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1/thumbnail_6901000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087327/Louisiana/Appropriations-hears-plan-to-reopen-Jensen-as-juvenile-reception-center-OJJ-seeks-77-staff-and-154-million-operational-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087327-015f6bbd5009c34425d15a46f173707b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447619&Signature=abUC3wKWj2i5iFvCgLITJjqFFpNThvp3uwCMI9GVh8UfhtlHtSy8-R9U3LdD7lr67hcdeywUdoiTVVVCmcS-y4YzJok3x1rB7ImsB-p5YcLxOIhwngK0FL56AtcSO0w4KbNdQjSrS9w70dxxabKT-1OjGcve580vXXhkI8P4cesvciPJtwOrsowfmRkja-x6aj~4o11L2Oba8nKmwZle1k9KlsROon7aQOIEtFLz6SQKGMAnbUZiGMfMW98gURaP4xr8Aj7xmGqvZUN-Y7QjX6gmPCLK9jzQeH63adNtBZ~MtoqoJAYfyQWPnNLwZnGhDLDhd4i0LOh7Z1rpwJ49pQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","The House Committee on Appropriations on April 7 considered the Office of Juvenile Justice’s FY26 budget and a plan to reopen the Jensen Center as a juvenile reception and diagnosis facility.

House Fiscal Division slides outlined the OJJ FY26 recommendation of $197.9 million total, of which $175.9 million is state general fund. Presenter explained the Jensen Center operational request: “This secured care facility will be a juvenile reception and diagnosis center that will be used as a primary intake facility for youth entering OJJ's custody,” the presenter said, describing assessment processes for medical, psychological, educational and social work evaluations.

OJJ asked for $15.4 million to operate Jensen in FY26, including transfer of $2.8 million already budgeted for 31 positions from the Acadian Center and an additional $12.7 million to fund 77 more positions, a medical contract and 44 beds. The department requested the additional staff as part of the facility stand‑up; the presentation listed a departmental recommended total of 1,070 authorized positions and 139 vacancies as of Dec. 30.

Committee members raised staffing, pay and turnover concerns for juvenile justice specialist positions. Undersecretary Jason Starnes said entry pay for juvenile justice specialist 1 is about $18 an hour and the department has extended training from about three weeks to roughly five weeks to improve retention. He described career progression: specialists move from level 1 to 2 and 3 through time and performance and the job includes shift work, overtime and challenging behavior management.

Members also asked about capacity. OJJ leaders said they currently have about 40 youth in local juvenile detention centers awaiting state beds; the agency is not housing juveniles out of state. The presentation noted secure care capacity changes and that Jensen would add roughly 72 beds once fully standing up new facilities (agency officials said interim moves could add about 44 beds).

Lawmakers questioned access to mental‑health services for youth, and OJJ officials said some behavioral and mental‑health treatment is provided under the agency’s medical contracts and local linkage; they noted limits on Medicaid coverage for youth inside secure care, which the presenters said prevents OJJ from billing Medicaid for certain care. The committee asked for additional recidivism and outcomes data to evaluate which programs reduce reoffending.

The Appropriations hearing did not record committee action on the request; OJJ said it would follow up with additional data on turnover, recidivism outcomes and implementation details for Jensen.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Apr 7, 8:30 AM, HCR-5","oneSentenceSummary","House Appropriations reviewed the Office of Juvenile Justice FY26 request, including reopening Jensen Center as a reception/diagnosis facility with 44 beds, 77 additional positions and an operational budget of $15.4 million; lawmakers questioned capacity, turnover and mental‑health services.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20967,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087332,"OMV system outages, Real ID deadline and modernization plan draw scrutiny at appropriations hearing",280,5964000,6244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1&start=5964&end=6244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1/thumbnail_5964000.jpg","/articles/6087332/Louisiana/OMV-system-outages-Real-ID-deadline-and-modernization-plan-draw-scrutiny-at-appropriations-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087332-d551a1624f20bf41f283b2898b456b8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447619&Signature=L1NgzIesO1AjxySf3FOwfRGnpJuzLJCO~LKPYfs2CbdWnIv923mR~Bq2GVtY~ekS1dAxGX0Q~BaVI2BOSKyP9LU-JnVvmnqrHSvU29yIDqZkp7Xks9Ag4P6hzkf9x-Kr0xCWrzh5X9UnM51jto11lP4WAH34UxA8L106FdnWgd4xKnFbTNq8DKnA45BUd92Tex0PXpbAPk68YyQWaDwNf60C12-rxSkY8bcgCWPYkZKmzkr8kbQhw7~0lRhw1YXZTGMPrrk~i3-RLle7utr~q8rAPvinRKmoVVePPKxLf73puSJn4smvp1~X-2PVvN7NGdEKQjqfdHheJHWfnJ9HIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers pressed the Office of Motor Vehicles on April 7 over repeated mainframe outages and the approaching federal Real ID deadline, while the interim commissioner said the agency is seeking a replacement system.

“OMV is recommended to have 83,000,000 in the FY 26 budget,” the House Fiscal Division said in its slides. Interim Commissioner Bridal Adams told the committee he was focused on stabilizing the existing system and preparing a procurement for a new system. “We are focused on putting a band aid on the system that we have currently, and then we'll be back to you all very soon… with a request to purchase a new system,” Adams said.

Lawmakers described multiple recent failures of the legacy system and urged continued weekend openings and expanded hours to meet demand before the federally imposed Real ID deadline. Committee members pressed Adams on whether OMV would seek legislation or fee changes to pay for a new system; Adams said an initial price tag had been discussed in prior plans and that he would return with a “solid number” and any legislative proposals after review.

Committee members described the public burden from outages: constituents taking time off work, standing in long lines and returning multiple times when systems fail. Adams said the agency is running weekend hours and that his team and the Office of Technology Services had improved uptime for the Friday and Saturday prior to the hearing; he pledged to keep working until the system is stable.

OMB/OMV slides presented funding breakdowns: OMV's FY26 recommendation shows 91% of its budget from fees and self‑generated revenues, and a projected $11.6 million net increase driven largely by OTS monthly and modernization fee increases and two new federal grants supporting commercial driver's license improvements and anti‑human‑trafficking outreach.

Lawmakers and the commissioner agreed they would return with a precise modernization cost and supplemental requests if needed; no formal vote was taken at the hearing.","The interim OMV commissioner told the Appropriations Committee the agency is running a fragile legacy system while preparing a procurement for a replacement; lawmakers pressed on Real ID access, weekend openings and the cost of a proposed new system.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087337,"State Police face multimillion‑dollar shortfall after OMV fee changes; lawmakers press for troop‑by‑troop impact",2521,3057000,5578000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1&start=3057&end=5578","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1/thumbnail_3057000.jpg","/articles/6087337/Louisiana/State-Police-face-multimilliondollar-shortfall-after-OMV-fee-changes-lawmakers-press-for-troopbytroop-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087337-acdd4518489532566f3e296b1f5b317e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447619&Signature=C5J4Z3pW5zcFz7fNzmw5i5KHQPYJ7KjJNV5MWWLjEPQa-Jsr-GHHe~437OBl64axPW8THYigJmXo0~rJ4vsuNwOF1UJTSAh1572gI9GKifAJy5RjqDUB1KvNX27ahkNx-RSIAuq61Dg74MElK0XnHl2Lsv3egMgcPB0VG7XLQxTr5b~i~6pA39PbiQzih7sYNRmC5MFasBaGw4qeTBW2eJxZipUMBHonMr-4Fq51UN7cFJS6uG9PepJ0TS7qMw7cSxmvjyCLEStDGR8A8i82LCNtNoMjirRrBV9ymw-JjSmZtZBlLEDWGbbQtNuURtxptDczO9emRLqBtwAefMd6vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Appropriations members were warned April 7 that a recent change affecting motor‑vehicle fee collections and a persistent mainframe outage together have created a large revenue shortfall that hits State Police budgets statewide.

“Of the FY25 projection of $81,600,000 budgeted, they are estimated to under collect 50,800,000,” the House Fiscal Division slide said, summarizing how changes to reinstatement fee collections flow to State Police. Zion Wilson explained the change: “With revisions based on Act 629, it authorized OMV to settle debt referrals to ODR and to avoid litigation, and that would be reduced to the original amount owed.”

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns, the State Police chief administrative officer, told the committee the shortfall and OMB/OMV system downtime have combined to create “a very, precarious situation.” Burns described the scope of State Police deployments and the agency’s reliance on the affected revenue. “Without that funding… all the services that state police provides across the board… are all detrimentally impacted,” he said. He added that responders in the current fiscal year included hurricane response, a terrorist attack, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras — national‑scale events that carry high operational bills.

The presentation traced the mechanics of the shortfall: of the estimated $50.8 million omission, roughly $39.4 million tied to other charges funds (for items such as the statewide wireless network, utilities and crime‑lab outsourcing) and about $46.7 million to interagency transfers (OTS payments, telecommunications and support services). The slides also justify program adjustments that included a $846,000 net personnel increase and an operating services increase largely for acquisition and equipment financing.

Wilson and Lieutenant Colonel Burns gave workforce figures: State Police is recommended at $445,000,000 in FY26, with 1,808 authorized TO positions and 43 FTEs; as of Dec. 30 the agency reported 142 vacancies and had 1,010 troopers in the field of whom 637 were assigned to patrol. Committee members were told overtime was significant in FY24 ($29.9 million) and that escorts and special details account for a sizeable share.

Asked about the arithmetic, Burns said the original $50.8 million estimate is now “probably much higher” and committed to prepare a one‑page list of troop‑by‑troop impacts the shortfall would cause if it is not restored. Committee leaders requested that troop‑level consequences be presented as the budget process continues.

The shortfall arises from statutory and administrative change plus operational pressures; the committee did not take a vote at the hearing but sought further documentation and troop‑specific impact estimates before deciding on remedies or supplemental requests.","Appropriations members were told a projected $50.8 million undercollection tied to Office of Motor Vehicles reinstatement fee changes will reduce State Police resources; officials said the figure may now be higher and described operational impacts and overtime history.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087342,"House Appropriations reviews Department of Corrections FY26 budget, highlights staffing and one‑time cuts",602,110000,712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1&start=110&end=712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890983-fe2cf569ac37ddba8dd935baf7b627b1/thumbnail_110000.jpg","/articles/6087342/Louisiana/House-Appropriations-reviews-Department-of-Corrections-FY26-budget-highlights-staffing-and-onetime-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087342-e18fd45876e55daa55c9f613ed2b6f95/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447619&Signature=HnY-oQdcWYhL2lPVSYJROf-fBWpBlQPgNJxnOYFPq14yqDXT9A~M67Gdl700xElWa9QN2oBjJMTsKlpqdm08A~QfPSdO296hm20ZYE-CrlsCDW9h6KwMGjRjvAH2docXFzYhU-HKd-vXhRV-yYm2BUw5Cr8YaccDgn4x~d8l2NB~s~JKk3Nroxb8njFNQuU419~btMg31Qsf-chrpWfK-freXuCczbhzx6FOsYTXamZDXZKJwQb56LuqE5-1AYVYFl9GWc1SdujnMs9gmGIFXABQoUEmkm8nFceSPFBUi0K-2GflaUcFnBgWcbIfWY8iXtJBaUjX3JqdW8lyk1kprw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Appropriations on April 7 reviewed the Department of Corrections’ recommended FY26 executive budget and heard officials describe staffing shortages, population trends and large one‑time spending reductions.

The committee heard that “the Department of Corrections is recommended to have 768,500,000 in the total budget,” Zion Wilson of the House Fiscal Division said as he opened the presentation. He told the committee the budget relies heavily on state general fund and concentrates spending in incarceration programs.

Wilson said the fiscal package lists $707,700,000 in state general fund, which makes up roughly 92.1% of DOC’s proposed budget, and described a $1.2 billion total for combined adult and juvenile correctional costs. He also reported an operational population snapshot: “as of April 2, there were 13,950 offenders in state custody.”

The budget package shifts funding compared with FY25, with staff presenting a $20.8 million net decrease in state general fund largely driven by the removal of acquisitions and major repairs that were one‑time items in FY25. Personnel services are up $33.3 million for base adjustments and pay increases, while acquisitions and major repairs fall by $54.5 million because $59.2 million of one‑time equipment and repairs were removed.

Secretary Gary Westcott, Department of Public Safety and Corrections, answered committee questions about staffing. Westcott noted vacancies and turnover remain a challenge. “We were probably sitting at about 800 vacancies… last year it was around 500 vacancies and today it's probably in the low 4 hundreds,” he told the committee, stressing recruiting gains but persistent turnover in units such as Angola and Hunt.

Committee members pressed on several operational points: capacity and bed fill, the per‑offender daily cost, and local housing per diem rates. Wilson described the FY25 example cost to provide care as roughly $102.55 a day per offender after adjusting for canteen funding. The presentation also noted local housing of state adult offenders accounted for 16.1% of total correctional funding and that changes in how savings are carried forward now send portions to LCTCS, DOC grants and crime victim services.

Members asked about morale and retention steps. Westcott said the department worked with civil service to create special pay rates and recruitment incentives; he cited increases that allow new officers to earn roughly $40,000 a year in some entry tracks, up from about $26,000 eight or nine years ago. He acknowledged those steps reduce vacancies but do not fully solve turnover.

The presentation listed personnel counts and vacancy numbers: FY26 is recommended to authorize 4,890 TO positions and 23 FTEs; as of Dec. 30 the department reported 403 vacancies. The slides also flagged overtime and health‑care costs as major recurring pressures, with $34.2 million called out for healthcare services and $29.1 million for risk‑management payments in the other charges category.

The committee pressed on local housing and Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) savings calculations and on concrete asks for supplemental funding; Westcott and undersecretary Thomas Bickham remained at the table to answer follow‑ups.

The Appropriations committee will consider these budget lines as it moves through the fiscal process; no formal committee votes on the DOC request were recorded at this hearing.","House Appropriations received the Department of Corrections FY26 executive budget, which recommends $768.5 million in state funding for DOC programs and highlights staffing shortages, vacancy counts and large reductions in one‑time acquisitions and major repairs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations hears plan to reopen Jensen as juvenile reception center; OJJ seeks 77 staff and $15.4 million operational funding

OMV system outages, Real ID deadline and modernization plan draw scrutiny at appropriations hearing

State Police face multimillion‑dollar shortfall after OMV fee changes; lawmakers press for troop‑by‑troop impact

House Appropriations reviews Department of Corrections FY26 budget, highlights staffing and one‑time cuts