A well-organised film night can turn a difficult subject into a thoughtful community conversation. Stories about incarceration, policing, court systems,…
Release from jail is often described as a return to freedom, yet freedom can arrive with a stack of unpaid obligations. Court fines, fees, restitution,…
A parish prison should not become the default destination for a person accused of a low-level offence. Yet when court dates are slow, bail is unaffordable,…
Restrictive housing is often described as a security measure reserved for people who pose an immediate and serious threat. In practice, people accused of minor…
A jail inspector general can give the public a reliable way to examine conditions behind locked doors, investigate complaints and require corrections agencies…
Access to a lawyer can determine whether an incarcerated person is heard, protected and released, or left to navigate an intimidating legal system alone. In…
A jail cell is meant to restrict movement, not dismantle a person’s ability to sleep, think and regulate emotion. Yet constant shouting, slamming doors, alarms…
A federal consent decree is a court-enforced agreement designed to correct unlawful conditions in a public institution. At a parish jail, it may address…
When public funding contracts, reentry services are often treated as optional rather than essential. Yet the period after release can determine whether a…
When a child in East Baton Rouge Parish is prosecuted as an adult, the decision can alter the course of their life before a court has properly considered their…