Louisiana has a higher incarceration rate than China, Russia, Iran, or Cuba. In fact, it's the highest in the world. And it comes at a serious cost – to our criminal justice system, to our state finances, and to the citizens of Louisiana. It is at a tipping point and if something is not done this session, Louisiana may not recover.
We are attorneys and legal professionals concerned about the state of Louisiana's criminal justice system. We have seen it focus too much on prison, so that it has ignored the well-being of its citizens. Yet, our crime statistics are no better than comparable states. That is why the recommendations of the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force are so important. They help rein in an abuse of prisons, improve our criminal justice system, and ultimately save taxpayer money.
We understand the concerns of the sheriffs and the Louisiana District Attorneys Association. However, these are not measures that are soft on crime. The use of incarceration in this state has been abused and needs to be reined in. This is not a radical plan. It is modeled off other conservative states who have successfully maintained reasonable prison populations while keeping crime rates similar to Louisiana's. We can do better.
Our overburdened criminal justice system is bursting at the seams. Our prisons and jails are packed with non-violent offenders, some of whom simply cannot pay exorbitant fines. Warehousing people has not been successful, but has imposed burdens on our courts, police, and the people they are working to protect. The 10 bills in the criminal justice reform package will reduce the prison population by 13%, saving Louisiana over $300 million in the next decade.
More needs to be done, but this is a vital first step towards sane policy. Therefore, please vote 'Yes' on the following bills:
HB 249 SB 220
HB 116 SB 139
HB 489 SB 16
HB 426 SB 221
HB 177
HB 519
