LOUISIANA, USA — A board of thirteen politicians and criminal justice stakeholders has issued its findings and recommendations for the state of the criminal justice system in Louisiana, after taking a second look at reforms made in 2017 to reduce the prison population in the state.
During its fourth meeting, The Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force delivered a summary of findings on the “most pressing issues facing Louisiana’s current criminal justice system.” They also issued five recommendations for possible legislation to be drafted in 2024.
The task force recommended that the Louisiana legislature:
- Make crime data and court information more accessible to victims and to the public
- Bring “real, substantive consequences” to juveniles committing crimes
- Increase consequences for violent felons who possess firearms
- Analyze current rehabilitation programs for offenders and incentivize the programs performing best
- Incentivize recruitment, retention, and support for law enforcement to address shortage of officers
The task force reports that after Louisiana’s 2017 Justice Reform Initiative, nearly two-thousand inmates were released from custody. Five years later, more than half had been rearrested, according to the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association. The task force also claims the severity and quality of juvenile crime has increased significantly since the “Raise the Age” initiative was implemented.
This task force was created in the 2023 Regular Session, with an aim to evaluate the current criminal justice and public safety situation in Louisiana, and “propose future legislation to address and improve public safety and reduce crime in Louisiana.”
There are thirteen members of the task force. They include the attorney general of Louisiana, the executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, the executive director of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, the state public defender, and both a House and Senate member appointed from lists that each of those people submit.
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