Right now, countless indigent defendants in New Orleans, Louisiana, have been sitting in jail for weeks or even months as they wait to be appointed counsel. At the same time, the city’s public defender’s office is desperately fighting for a higher budget. Without one, the fate of confined
The day after Louisiana’s November election, Norris Henderson went back to the prison where he spent 27 years of his life. He visits frequently—it’s where he goes to stay connected with the people he fights for from the outside. The Republican gubernatorial candidate, Eddie Rispone, spent months
This story was co-written with Matt Ferner The data is clear: America is getting safer. By 2016, the crime rate had fallen to half of what it was in 1990. Equally clear is that what works best for public safety is less incarceration, not more. Reducing incarceration reduces crime. Not
This week, the Black Voters Matter Fund is taking to Louisiana streets with a bus and a cause—registering as many new voters as possible. Thousands of formerly incarcerated people are eligible to register following a new bill signed into state law in 2018, and the organization wants to spread
When a new Louisiana voting rights bill was signed into law last year, thousands of ex-felons were on their way to regaining their right to vote. Almost immediately after returning from prison in December, Shreveport resident Charles Blue went to the registrar’s office. “My vote is my power,” Blue
Showing 12 of 41 total posts
Stay up to date with curated collection of our top stories.
