Louisiana Senate votes to confirm Jeff Landry’s controversial pick to run youth prisons

The Louisiana Senate has agreed to confirm Kenny Loftin to run Louisiana’s youth prisons. Democrats had expressed concerns about Loftin getting the job. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

The Louisiana Senate voted Monday to confirm Gov. Jeff Landry’s controversial pick to run Louisiana’s juvenile justice services and youth prisons, in spite of senators expressing reservations about him taking the job over the last few months.

Senators endorsed Kenneth “Kenny” Loftin in his job as deputy secretary for the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice. He was part of a list of hundreds of appointees the senators approved. 

No senators objected to Loftin being confirmed publicly, but almost all of the discussion over job appointments takes place in private. 

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, confirmed Loftin was among the appointees lawmakers approved. Several other senators declined to speak about Loftin with reporters. They said they were told to keep discussions over the confirmations confidential. 

For decades, Loftin ran the Ware Youth Center in Coushatta, a facility that was the subject of a lengthy news investigation alleging abuse at the hands of its staff. The article ran in an October 2022 edition of The New York Times.

Loftin was not accused of any direct abuse, but much of the alleged violence described in the article happened when he led the facility. 

The Times reported 42 people held at Ware over a 25-year period said they were sexually abused by Ware staff. Loftin oversaw the facility from its opening in 1993 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2023. 

In a public confirmation hearing last month, Loftin had said the people who described alleged violence at the facility for the article were lying to reporters.

In February, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus had asked Landry to withdraw Loftin’s nomination, citing the allegations raised in The Times report.

But Landry doubled down on Loftin and leaned on senators to approve his confirmation in recent weeks. He set up personal meetings between legislators and Loftin and circulated written statements in support of Loftin from elected officials.

This is a developing story. Please check back with us for more information later.

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