Renaissance Home for Youth
Encyclopedia
The Renaissance Home for Youth is a criminal rehabilitation center located near Alexandria
, Louisiana
, USA at 6177 Bayou Rapides Road in western Rapides Parish
co-founded in 1972 by Guy E. Humphries, Jr.
(1922–2010), a Ninth Judicial District Court judge, Dr. Glenn Earl Bryant (1922–2003), then the pastor of the large downtown Emmanuel Baptist
Church, and George M. Foote (1919–2010), the Alexandria municipal judge at the time. The center is a non-profit corporation
financed from mostly originally donated assets. The Home states that "The need was apparent for an alternative to adult jail
or reform school
warehousing for kids (boys and girls) who deserved a second chance".
Robert J. "Bob" Tillie (born ca. 1944) of Pineville
, the Renaissance founding executive director from 1973–2006, told the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
on the occasion of Judge Humphries' death that the jurist in particular had been highly "supportive of a place for juveniles to have a second chance. He was very caring of kids in need."
Land for the home came from an abandoned vegetable farm owned by Central Louisiana State Hospital of Pineville. Civic clubs organized to renovate a former "potato shed" to house the first twelve boys in the program. The facility opened in March 1973. A grant was approved by the Red River Delta planning district and the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement. In 1974 Renaissance was licensed by the State of Louisiana, and a two-mil ad valorem tax
was approved by voters to support the home, a showcase experiment under a law known as the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
In 1976 a renovated secure detention center
was authorized under a capital improvement plan. The first female facility was added in 1977. A new center and administrative complex opened in 1985. In 1986 a shelter-care facility called the Hathorn Center opened, named for Edgar C. Hathorn (1921–1987), the owner of Hathorn Transfer and Storage of Alexandria and a former member of the Rapides Parish Police Jury. A one-room school opened in 2000, followed by a covered basketball court in 2004, and the Renaissance Education Center in 2008.
Ad valorem funding was renewed by voters in 1984, 1994, and 2004. State grants also assist in funding the facility. The center was first accredited by the American Correctional Association in 1996 and since re-accredited in 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008. Since 1973 there have been nearly twelve thousand admissions to the home.
Dr. Glenn Bryant was the first chairman of the Renaissance board, and served from 1973 to 1976. He was succeeded by Sarah Frances Anders, a sociologist at Louisiana College
in Pineville, who served in 1977. Edgar Hathorn was chairman from 1984 to 1987. Mayor
David C. Butler of Woodworth
served as chairman from 1999 to 2000. Alexandria businessman Edwin J. Caplan presided during 2004, and Robbie Laborde was appointed in 2009.
The Renaissance address is P.O. Box 7997, Alexandria, LA 71306.
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, USA at 6177 Bayou Rapides Road in western Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
co-founded in 1972 by Guy E. Humphries, Jr.
Guy Humphries
Guy Earl Humphries, Jr. was a Ninth Judicial District Court judge in Alexandria, Louisiana, known also as a co-founder of the Renaissance Home for Youth, a criminal rehabilitation center in Rapides Parish...
(1922–2010), a Ninth Judicial District Court judge, Dr. Glenn Earl Bryant (1922–2003), then the pastor of the large downtown Emmanuel Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, and George M. Foote (1919–2010), the Alexandria municipal judge at the time. The center is a non-profit corporation
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
financed from mostly originally donated assets. The Home states that "The need was apparent for an alternative to adult jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
or reform school
Reform school
A reform school in the United States was a term used to define, often somewhat euphemistically, what was often essentially a penal institution for boys, generally teenagers.-History:...
warehousing for kids (boys and girls) who deserved a second chance".
Robert J. "Bob" Tillie (born ca. 1944) of Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
, the Renaissance founding executive director from 1973–2006, told the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
The Town Talk (Alexandria)
The Town Talk, started as The Daily Town Talk in 1883 and later named the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, is the major newspaper of Central Louisiana. It is published by Gannett in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the economic center of Central Louisiana.The daily newspaper has a circulation...
on the occasion of Judge Humphries' death that the jurist in particular had been highly "supportive of a place for juveniles to have a second chance. He was very caring of kids in need."
Land for the home came from an abandoned vegetable farm owned by Central Louisiana State Hospital of Pineville. Civic clubs organized to renovate a former "potato shed" to house the first twelve boys in the program. The facility opened in March 1973. A grant was approved by the Red River Delta planning district and the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement. In 1974 Renaissance was licensed by the State of Louisiana, and a two-mil ad valorem tax
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
was approved by voters to support the home, a showcase experiment under a law known as the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
In 1976 a renovated secure detention center
Detention center
A detention center or a detention centre is any location used for detention. Specifically, it can mean:*A jail or prison*A structure for immigration detention*An internment camp or concentration camp...
was authorized under a capital improvement plan. The first female facility was added in 1977. A new center and administrative complex opened in 1985. In 1986 a shelter-care facility called the Hathorn Center opened, named for Edgar C. Hathorn (1921–1987), the owner of Hathorn Transfer and Storage of Alexandria and a former member of the Rapides Parish Police Jury. A one-room school opened in 2000, followed by a covered basketball court in 2004, and the Renaissance Education Center in 2008.
Ad valorem funding was renewed by voters in 1984, 1994, and 2004. State grants also assist in funding the facility. The center was first accredited by the American Correctional Association in 1996 and since re-accredited in 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008. Since 1973 there have been nearly twelve thousand admissions to the home.
Dr. Glenn Bryant was the first chairman of the Renaissance board, and served from 1973 to 1976. He was succeeded by Sarah Frances Anders, a sociologist at Louisiana College
Louisiana College
Louisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
in Pineville, who served in 1977. Edgar Hathorn was chairman from 1984 to 1987. Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
David C. Butler of Woodworth
Woodworth, Louisiana
Woodworth is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,080 at the 2000 census....
served as chairman from 1999 to 2000. Alexandria businessman Edwin J. Caplan presided during 2004, and Robbie Laborde was appointed in 2009.
The Renaissance address is P.O. Box 7997, Alexandria, LA 71306.