Support NeoGAF

[Spoiled Milk]

[source]

Traditionally, it's been Louisiana's Democrats and liberal social justice advocates who have pushed for reforms in the state's criminal justice system — asking for more lenient drug sentences, programs to rehabilitate criminals and softer penalties for nonviolent offenders. Those efforts have always run into stiff headwinds in the form of policymakers who preferred a "tough on crime" approach.

But this year, a Republican-dominated Legislature signed off by large margins on sweeping changes that will trim jail sentences and expand parole opportunities to offenders in jail — and, analysts predict, will reduce the overall jail population by 10 percent over a decade.

While the comprehensive effort was a bipartisan one that had the backing of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, the actual passage of the changes this year was the result mostly of conservative groups that have taken up the mantle of prison reform and offered their blessing to the GOP members who cast their votes for the reforms.

"For me, having some of the more conservative groups like (the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry) and the Family Forum bring a balance to the perspective" was important, said Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, who supported all 10 of the reform bills in the legislative session. "Having their buy-in goes a long way to reassure the public."

If corrections reform started on the left as a social justice issue, it's evolved into an issue of fiscal responsibility and public safety for the right as the costs of mass incarceration have ballooned. Louisiana is only the latest in a growing list of "red" states where the business community and conservatives are driving reforms.

New Orleans developer Pres Kabacoff was among the pioneers in the local business community pushing for changes to the state's sentencing and correction laws. Kabacoff said he was inspired by a series of 2012 newspaper articles that highlighted Louisiana's status as the world's incarceration capital.

"I decided that with the sheriffs and district attorneys seemingly opposing any fundamental change in criminal justice, I would see if I could get business organizations to step up to the plate and become important voices in the Legislature," Kabacoff said.

Kabacoff assembled a small coalition that included Jay Lapeyre, president of Laitram Corp., a manufacturing company that employs some 1,900 people worldwide.

The group, calling itself Smart on Crime, partnered with the Pelican Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank that provided policy support. Kevin Kane, the Pelican Institute's founder, was for years one of the leading voices for sentencing reform in Louisiana before he died last year of cancer.

"Progressive groups like the (American Civil Liberties Union) and the Urban League had been pushing on this issue for a long time, but we were the first group that coalesced that was primarily bringing the business muscle to this issue in Louisiana," said Michael Cowan, a Loyola University professor who worked with business leaders on the Smart on Crime steering committee.

Cowan had pursued local crime initiatives for years, but he said it became "crystal clear that if we didn't have conservative leadership leverage, this issue was going to be stuck like it had been for so long before."

He added: "To be real blunt, elected political leaders listen to powerful business leaders because they need support for campaigns."

Once it appeared Louisiana was serious about change, Pew Charitable Trusts entered the scene. Pew has worked with three dozen states to provide data about how policy changes translate into inmate population reductions and cost savings.

"One of the big changes was that more data and evidence has become available, and in some ways, that made it more possible to bring conservatives to the table," said Lisa Graybill, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. "That was a language that conservatives understood, while the language progressives used was about human dignity, the morality of the issue and the theory of punishment."

What this bill does (source):

- reduces prison population by 10%
- saves state $78m over 10 years
- redirects $184m in spending from incarceration programs to rehabilitation programs
- changes in the sentencing of nonviolent offenses
- earlier parole for some violent offenders
- lessons financial obligations of offenders after released from prison
- sets a plan to look at reorganizing Louisiana's 626 felony laws into 7 classes with similar sentencing, to reduce disparity and potential bias

What this bill doesn't do:
- reduce sentences for violent offenders already in prison, except for about 140 life sentences
- commit to exactly how this rehabilitation money will be spent. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections has flexibility here.
- does not actually commit to the felony class system with uniform sentencing, at the behest of district attorneys

This has been in the works since early this year. Glad to see it finally passed the legislature and JBE will sign this shortly. It's also noteworthy that this is another state where prison reform passed once it was framed as a fiscally conservative and cost saving measure.

 

[Aurongel]

"As the costs of mass incarceration have ballooned".

🤔

 

[CrimsonCrescendo]

It's a start. I'll take anything that's a step forward at this point regarding mass incarceration and the absolute shit show it's been the last 30+ years.

 

[makingmusic476]

It's better than what we had, but it's pretty weak reform. Dropping our prison population 10% would only drop our incarceration rate to #2 in the nation, behind Oklahoma.

And it comes no where near issues that could have further reaching impacts, like marijuana decriminalization/legalization.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Good job by that Mother Jones reporter who went undercover to report on the problems in Louisiana's prisons last year. Shining a light surely helped push this issue to the forefront.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics...ions-corporation-inmates-investigation-bauer/

 

[Spoiled Milk]

It's better than what we had, but it's pretty weak reform. Dropping our prison population 10% would only drop our incarceration rate to #2 in the nation, behind Oklahoma.

And it comes no where near issues that could have further reaching impacts, like marijuana decriminalization/legalization.

Wait, it will? Everything I've read says that Louisiana probably will remain at #1. But that's good to hear.

Good job by that Mother Jones reporter who went undercover to report on the problems in Louisiana's prisons last year. Shining a light surely helped push this issue to the forefront.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics...ions-corporation-inmates-investigation-bauer/

Nice, I haven't read this before.

 

[Big Baybee]

It's better than what we had, but it's pretty weak reform. Dropping our prison population 10% would only drop our incarceration rate to #2 in the nation, behind Oklahoma.

And it comes no where near issues that could have further reaching impacts, like marijuana decriminalization/legalization.

Baby steps

 

[Slayven]

Baby steps

Shiiiiiitttt a lot better then what i expected reading the thread titles. I expected some straight fuckery truth be told

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

This is a good move. I hope Louisiana let's BGizzle get out early too.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Nice, I haven't read this before.

There's some seriously effed up stuff in there, which is sadly not all that surprising...

 

[Black Republican]

This is a good move. I hope Louisiana let's BGizzle get out early too.

lol, i doubt it

 

[Spoiled Milk]

Shiiiiiitttt a lot better then what i expected reading the thread titles. I expected some straight fuckery truth be told

Oh, lol, sorry if my title framed it like that.

This is a good move. I hope Louisiana let's BGizzle get out early too.

he's in federal prison

 

[siddx]

As I said in the other thread, it's a decent start, but way more needs to be done. The fact that all of that will only reduce inmate population by 10% is abysmal and further solidifies my belief that the prison system is so horribly broken that it needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Also I may have missed mention of it in this article but I read back in May that they are planning on building more private prisons in Louisiana. Which is going the exact opposite direction they need to with prison reform.

 

[Vicetrailia]

It's a start. The system is terrible.

 

[Foxxsoxx]

A start... c'mon Louisiana, you got some work to do with our shitty laws.

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

he's in federal prison

Mr. Dorsey can't catch a break. Obama should have pardoned him.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Baby steps

Yep. It makes it much easier to pass further reforms in the future, because it'll have broken down at least some of the tough on crime, soft on facts crowd.

But yeah, as the article details, making an economic argument is a lot more effective than moral ones. As they point out, you can spend less money for a longer-term benefit than prisons.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Hard to be upset about this. Definitely a step in the right direction.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Yep. It makes it much easier to pass further reforms in the future, because it'll have broken down at least some of the tough on crime, soft on facts crowd.

But yeah, as the article details, making an economic argument is a lot more effective than moral ones. As they point out, you can spend less money for a longer-term benefit than prisons.

It's always been about the argument of costs too, it ain't new. I think it's the turned cheek lobbyists that got Republicans.