Since Hurricane Ida, reports of “dirty and unsafe” conditions at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, where 835 people were evacuated, and of communication issues at outer parish jails that were not evacuated despite mandatory orders have advocates once again calling for improved safety measures for people behind bars during a natural disaster.
Different states have different laws pertaining to establishing and maintaining a public defender s office.
In Louisiana, a prominent public defender considers North Carolina s system and its impact on counties like Alamance, which has no dedicated public defender s office, a bit lacking. You get the advantage of a group of attorneys who can provide expertise in the area, said Public Defender Derwyn Bunton.
Bunton is the Public Defender in New Orleans, which is part of a statewide criminal defense system that encompasses the entire state. Bunton said the implications of full state coverage are apparent once a person knows what a public defender is.
Jan 12, 2021
NEW ORLEANS (AP) A New Orleans city council member took the oath of office as the city’s new district attorney Monday, facing a pandemic-related backlog of cases and high expectations from criminal justice reform advocates who rallied around him despite his indictment on federal tax charges.
Jason Williams vowed in his inaugural speech to hold those guilty of serious crimes accountable. But he repeatedly stressed the need in a city with a high incarceration rate and a high percentage of Black prisoners to stop seeking jail time for people whose crimes are related to poverty, drug addiction or mental illness.
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