On June 20th, I had the pleasure of attending the NOLA 300 Forum for Progress and Prosperity, a conference concerning community development in Orleans Parish. After the opening speeches of the day, I attended a series of breakout sessions, intending to stay in the same room all afternoon to eventually hear the (unfortunately, underwhelming) talk by professors from my alma mater, Tulane SPHTM.

However, it was the second talk of the afternoon that stuck with me. It was entitled “The Impact of 300 Years of Jail Conditions”, after the recently published essay by Andrea Armstrong, Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans.

Professor Armstrong is an inspiring figure who reaches above dry academic pursuits. Her intense focus on researching and educating the local community on the failure of criminal justice in New Orleans lends itself to an almost palpable sense of passion as she speaks about her most recent publication.

A truly fascinating read, her essay covers topics from inhumane treatment of detainees to the lack of medical services available to those within the jailhouse walls.

Some highlights of her incredible essay and talk:

80% of jails in the United States report zero deaths per year.

20% report one or more, though most of these do not exceed a single death.

New Orleans’ jail, by comparison, boasts a total of 52 deaths since 2006.

In 2017, the mortality rate of the New Orleans jail was officially reported as four times the national average.

20% report one or more, though most of these do not exceed a single death. New Orleans’ jail, by comparison, boasts a total of 52 deaths since 2006. In 2017, the mortality rate of the New Orleans jail was officially reported as four times the national average. Though only 26% of the New Orleans population is composed of African American men ages 15-84, they account for 81% of the jail population, as of May 2016.

The New Orleans jail did not have a medical director until 1990.

When asked about the current status of infectious disease (particularly HIV and tuberculosis) in the jail, Professor Armstrong stated that there are no publicly available figures on the matter, despite the jail’s dark history regarding outbreaks of these highly communicable infections.

However, I feel it is best to allow Professor Armstrong’s essay to speak for itself.

One of the biggest takeaways that Professor Armstrong wished for her audience to have was who the public should feel free to contact in order to voice their concerns about the current conditions of the New Orleans jail. I took notes on her list and they are as follows:

New Orleans Sheriff’s Office

Note: Louisiana has a unique law that makes the sheriff the sole custodian of the detainees in the local jail. Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman

2800 Perdido Street

New Orleans, LA 70119

504-202-9339

United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Honorable Lance M. Africk

500 Poydras Street

Room C405

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-589-7605

Mayor LaToya Cantrell

1300 Perdido Street

2nd Floor

New Orleans, LA 70112

504-658-4900

Local city council people

The local news

Alternatively, volunteer with the New Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition

More on Prison Reform