| Advisory opinion request regarding whether Denise Dandridge, the Director of Health Services for the Office of Juvenile Justice, can accept a car that she won at a conference. |
|
Denise Dandridge is employed as the Director of Health Services for the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ). She is responsible for administration of all health care programs to all youth under OJJ, including medical, nursing, mental health and dental health services.
Ms. Dandridge attended the 145th American Correctional Association (ACA) Congress of Corrections Conference in Indianapolis, IN, the expenses of which were paid by OJJ. ACA is a professional organization open to all individuals and groups, both public and private, that share a common goal of improving the justice system. All registered conference attendees were given an entry form to participate in a drawing for a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze L or one of two Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablets. To be eligible for the drawing, the entry form had to be completed with stamps from the six vendors that sponsored the conference - Global Tel*Link, HEERY International, Industries for the Blind, Inc., ChemImage Sensor Systems, Management & Training Corporation, and Western Union. ACA purchased the car from a local vendor with the proceeds from the sponsorships. After Ms. Dandridge won the drawing, she was taken to the dealership to pay the taxes and fees and arrange for shipment to Louisiana.
OJJ does not have a contractual relationship with any of the six vendors that sponsored the conference. However, OJJ participates in Accreditation of Correctional Departments through the Commission of Accreditation and Standards. OJJ contracts with ACA to conduct audits of each facility, the central office, and probation and parole offices at least every three years. In fact, the central office was audited in May of 2015 and OJJ has requested the contract from ACA for an audit of the Bridge City Center for Youth to be conducted in February 2016.
|
|
Previous decisions of the Board regarding the acceptance of a prize awarded to a public servant in a random drawing at a conference:
2013-1476 Public servant not prohibited from accepting two tickets for a cruise when neither Cruise One, the company that gave the prize, nor the Retired State Employees Association, the conference host, had a contractual, business, or financial relationship with her agency and her attendance or receipt of the prize was not for the performance of her duties and responsibilities.
2012-1241 Public servant not prohibited from accepting two airline tickets when neither United Airlines, the company that donated the tickets, nor the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, the host of the luncheon and trade show, had a contractual, business, or financial relationship with her agency and her receipt of the prize was not for the performance of her public duties.
|
|
La. R.S. 42:1111A prohibits a public servant from receiving anything of economic value, other than compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which she is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of her office or position.
La. R.S. 42:1115A(1) prohibits a public servant from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency.
|
|
|
Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
|
|
| Assigned Attorney: |
Haley Williams |
|
|