In a scathing joint statement released Thursday the NAACP, ACLU of Louisiana, VOTE, ADL South Central Region, Urban League of Louisiana, and the VERA Institute for Justice issued a statement calling on Gov. John Bel Edwards to implement independent, third-party oversight of the Louisiana State Police (LSP) following the release of horrific footage of the […]
Category: Criminal Justice
Ronald Greene Beaten and “Tortured” Before He Died at Hands of Louisiana State Police
May 19, 2021The Associated Press has just released disturbing police body-cam footage of Ronald Greene, and it’s a violent and troubling sight. In what has become a common, but no less shocking occurrence, a grieving family is left with more questions than answers as a result of excessive force by police. May 10, 2019, outside Monroe, Louisiana, […]
SCOTUS Rules No Mandatory Retrials for Those Convicted by Jim Crow Juries – But There Is Still Hope
May 19, 2021Louisiana’s incarceration system, like most incarceration systems in this country, has always been racist, prioritizing putting Black men in jail over actual justice. This is made obvious by the state’s prison population being disproportionately Black and through racist laws like the one that created Jim Crow Juries. Jim Crow Juries were legalized by an 1880 […]
Slavery Is Still Legal in Louisiana
May 18, 2021Louisiana House Bill 196, which was an amendment that would have prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude in Louisiana, was killed by the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure last week. Currently, according to the state’s constitution, “Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except in the latter case as punishment for a crime.” Representative Edmond […]
Help Not Handcuffs: Mentally Ill Individuals in New Orleans Deserve Better
May 18, 2021People suffering from mental health issues in New Orleans deserve help not handcuffs. They need professionals with mental health training, not guns, to provide them with medical care that will solve the problems they are dealing with, not worsen them. Adults with untreated severe mental health issues generate one in ten calls to the police […]
Louisiana Could Become National Leader in Protecting Citizens From Unreasonable Force
May 14, 2021The police reform movement in Louisiana won a major victory this week when HB 609 by Rep. Edmond Jordan was passed out of the Louisiana House of Representatives with 53 votes, the exact number needed for passage. The bill will next be debated by the Senate Judiciary B committee. Jordan’s legislation prohibits qualified immunity as […]
Legislative Updates: Conservative Bill Would Force National Anthem To Be Played at Public Sporting Events; Police Reform and Housing Legislation Also Considered
May 13, 2021Should Athletes Be Forced To Sing National Anthem That Includes a Racist 3rd Stanza? Over the strong concerns of several Black members, the House Judiciary Committee today passed out SB 124 by Sharon Hewitt that would mandate that the National Anthem be played or sung at every sporting event at any venue paid for by […]
City Council Legislation Addresses Opioid Epidemic With Push To Decriminalize Fentanyl Test Strips
May 7, 2021New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno advanced her legislation to decriminalize fentanyl test strips in New Orleans on Tuesday. “Saving lives has got to come first,” explained Council President Helena Moreno. “The opioid epidemic rages on, but fentanyl is a uniquely dangerous and often invisible accelerate to the damage wrought. This simple harm reduction […]
The First 72+ Will Rebuild More Lives With New Housing
May 6, 2021Dozens of formerly incarcerated people (FIP) and their supporters gathered earlier this week at the groundbreaking of The First 72+ new transitional housing in Mid-City. “Re-entry is not a fairytale and it is not a straight line. This celebration today shows us what is possible when a community shows up for you and stays by […]
Don’t Call The Police
April 28, 2021Don’t call the police if you’re in a situation that requires de-escalation and intervention. Don’t call the police if you can handle a problem by simply contacting your neighbors. Don’t call the police, instead check out the crowd-sourced online database, Don’t Call The Police. Don’t Call The Police has lists of alternative organizations you can […]
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