Press-Release-Juvenile-In-Justice-Exhibit

22, 2015 Contact: Renée Slajda October 20, 2015 203-231-7285, rslajda@laccr.org Photography Exhibit Bolsters Call for Juvenile Justice Reform Community-Sponsored Exhibit Reveals Treatme

HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL OCT 22, 2015 Contact: Renée Slajda

October 20, 2015 203-231-7285, rslajda@laccr.org

Photography Exhibit Bolsters Call for Juvenile Justice Reform

Community-Sponsored Exhibit Reveals Treatment of Children Behind Bars

New Orleans, LA – Oct 20, 2015 - The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights and its community partners are offering New Orleanians a glimpse into the hidden world of juvenile incarceration via a nationally acclaimed photography exhibit Created by photographer Richard Ross, the Juvenile In Justice exhibit exposes the treatment of children in Orleans Parish Prison and jails across the country through powerful photographs and personal narratives

“Juvenile In Justice is a call to action, and it’s coming to New

Orleans at a critical time,” says LCCR Executive Director Josh

Perry “Some of Ross’ most heartbreaking photographs of

imprisoned children were taken right here in New Orleans We

can take common-sense steps right now to help these children

– including, most urgently, removing all children under 18

from the Orleans Parish Prison.”

During the exhibit opening on October 22, LCCR will release

Keep Children Out of Orleans Parish Prison , a report calling for an end to the detention of children in one

of the worst jails in the nation A petition will also be circulated asking the New Orleans City Council to remove all children from the adult jail The petition has already garnered almost 1,000 signatures on Change.org

Juvenile In Justice is sponsored by a diverse group of community organizations and local universities that

are working toward a better future for New Orleans’ youth Over the next month, partners will hold events in the exhibition space – from speaking engagements to student events – in order to broaden awareness around issues of juvenile justice and youth development in New Orleans

One partner, the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies at UNO, worked with

area high school students to create art that reimagines a world without

prisons, a selection of which will be included in the exhibition “The LCCR

project and Richard Ross exhibit,” explains Professor Ben Weber, “provides

the perfect opportunity for young people to respond creatively to an issue that

directly affects them, while helping us older folks to imagine possibilities for a

different future.”

Curated by Gia M Hamilton of the Joan Mitchell Center, Juvenile In Justice is

on view from October 23rd to November 20th in the Myrtle Banks Building at

1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd More information and a list of partner events

can be found on the event page

[MORE]

© Richard Ross

© Richard Ross

The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights is a nonprofit law center that defends the right of every child

in Louisiana’s juvenile justice system to fairness, dignity, and opportunity We couple direct services with systems reform advocacy to create a smaller, safer, fairer juvenile justice system

The Joan Mitchell Center’s mission is to support local, national, and international contemporary visual artists The Center provides a place for creation, innovation and transformation for artists, while supporting values of community, diversity, and social equity in New Orleans

Contact Renée Slajda at rslajda@laccr.org or (203) 231-7285

Exhibit sponsors are:

The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights

The Joan Mitchell Center

African & African Diaspora Studies, Tulane University

Alembic Community Development

Amistad Research Center

Baptist Community Ministries

The Center for Restorative Approaches

Creative Alliance of New Orleans

Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Xavier University

Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children

Innocence Project New Orleans

Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies, University of New Orleans

Orleans Parish Place Matters

Reconcile New Orleans

The Southern Poverty Law Center

Urban League of Greater New Orleans

Women With A Vision

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