Crime Is Systemic, Not a Reflection of Parenting

As an educator, I’ve worked with countless children and families. I’ve sat with students who carry more than just their backpacks to school. They carry trauma, instability, and fear. And I’ve heard far too many adults point fingers at parenting whenever crime becomes a topic of conversation. But here’s the truth we need to say out loud: crime is not the result of bad parenting, it is the result of broken systems.

The Reality in Louisiana

Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with over 1,000 people locked up for every 100,000 residents. We are home to one of the largest prison populations in the country, and yet, we are not the safest state. If putting more people in jail kept communities safe, Louisiana would be one of the most peaceful places in the United States. But that’s not our reality. Crime in our state is not about how well a parent disciplines their child, it’s about lack of access, lack of opportunity, and lack of community support.

Data consistently shows that poverty, under-resourced schools, and mental health struggles are the biggest predictors of crime. In East Baton Rouge Parish, for example, Black and Hispanic residents make up 80% of the jail population, despite representing less than half of the general population. These numbers don’t reflect a parenting crisis, they reflect systemic injustice. Our communities are not failing because families are undisciplined, but because systems are disinvested and discriminatory.

The Truth About Youth Crime

Even when we look at juvenile incarceration, we see the same pattern. Louisiana incarcerates youth at more than twice the national rate. But research shows that youth who have access to mental health care, stable housing, and quality education are far less likely to end up in the system. It’s not that these kids don’t have parents who care, it’s that they’re navigating environments that work against them.

It’s also worth noting that increasing policing and harsher sentencing haven’t helped. In fact, states that reduced their incarceration rates saw even larger drops in crime. And community-based programs have proven to be far more effective. In cities across the U.S., every new nonprofit focused on youth, mental health, or job support correlates with a significant decrease in both violent and property crime.

Here in Baton Rouge, the Community Street Team has shown real promise by intervening before violence occurs and connecting people to services. But these kinds of programs are often underfunded or forgotten, even though they save lives and transform neighborhoods.

What Can We Do as a Community?

If we want to reduce crime in Louisiana, we have to start addressing the root causes.

That means:

• Expanding access to mental health services, especially in our schools.

• Supporting reentry and diversion programs that offer people a second chance.

• Investing in youth mentorship, job training, and housing security.

• Funding community-based violence prevention efforts like the Baton Rouge Community Street Team.

• Reforming court systems that punish people for poverty rather than crime.

  
  

We can also advocate for policy changes that prioritize prevention over punishment. Many people end up in jail simply because they couldn’t pay a fine or missed a court date. That’s not justice, that’s criminalizing poverty. Real safety starts when we take care of people, not when we criminalize their circumstances.

The Call to Action

We need to stop asking, “Where are the parents?” and start asking, “Where are the programs? Where are the policies? Where is the funding for community support?”

Let’s build a Louisiana where we don’t blame families for the cracks in the foundation, we fix the foundation.

Let’s choose healing, prevention, and justice over punishment. Because our children, our neighbors, and our future deserve more than handcuffs and headlines, they deserve hope.

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