Roy L. Juncker, Jr.-Louisiana Champion for Change
Roy L. Juncker, Jr.
Director, Jefferson Parish. Louisiana
Department of Juvenile Services
Roy Juncker, once the Chief of Police in the small Jefferson Parish city of Westwego, is now one of Louisiana’s most sought-after juvenile justice professionals. He has taken what he learned on the streets and applied it to improving the systems that affect young people and their families.
“While it was a tremendous step in his professional development, the Models for Change initiative complemented Roy’s leadership and vision for juvenile justice,” said Judge Ann Murry Keller of the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court. “His tenacity, diplomacy, and vision to make Jefferson Parish a statewide and national model for juvenile justice and collaboration make him a Champion for Change.”
Juncker is Director for the Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) and Chairman of the Children & Youth Planning Board. He is also the Jefferson Parish Project Director for Models for Change. As Director of DJS, he is responsible for the daily leadership of 120 employees within a $12 million dollar a year department.
Jefferson Parish is only one of two grant sites in Louisiana that decided to target all three of Louisiana’s targeted areas of improvement: Alternatives to Formal Processing and Secure Placement, Evidence-Based Community Services and Disproportionate Minority Contact. Because of Juncker’s leadership, his willingness to learn, and desire to increase public safety through effective programming, he has succeeded in all three.
“Roy has been involved in every facet of juvenile justice,” said Keller. “He uses his understanding of the multiple perspectives of crime to initiate diplomatic solutions to contested issues while demonstrating a persistent focus on quality improvement, data-driven decisions, and implementation of best practices.”
DJS has been the foundation for Models for Change efforts in Jefferson Parish. Juncker has tripled funding for evidence-based practices (EBP) resulting in an increase in access to EBPs from 7% to 95% in just three years. Objective screening and assessment instruments are now used 100% of the time, up from 12%. DJS has worked to implement universal race and ethnicity data collection and provided leadership for the development of alternatives to formal processing by addressing school-generated referrals to the juvenile justice system
“Roy understands the issues, is passionate about providing the best practices to youth on probation, and has built collaborative relationships. His results-oriented work ethic has garnered respect across Louisiana for the accomplishments of DJS,” said Deb DePrato, Models for Change Louisiana Project Director. “Roy inspires others through his leadership, vision, energy and support of the core values of the Models for Change Initiative.”
Jefferson Parish has much to be proud of. Use of community-based programs is expanding, best practices are being widely accepted, and detention alternative programs established in coordination with Juvenile Court judges have decreased the need for bed space. Juncker has implemented these changes without new resources, only more cost-effective use of his agency’s existing funds.
“Juvenile justice leaders seek our Roy because of his vision, energy and leadership, and more importantly, for his complete grasp of all the issues involved in these kinds of reform, as well as his ability to implement those changes,” said DePrato. “He gladly spends time with others interested in duplicating Jefferson Parish results. He wants others to be Champions too.”