Behind The Lens episode 226: ‘The means to fight this’

Nick Chrastil on the federal consent decree guiding the jail's construction of a facility called Phase III. Terry Jones from Floodlight on carbon capture and sequestration in the state.

This week on Behind The Lens, over ten years ago the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit against the then sheriff, citing several deaths to illustrate that his office had a “policy and practice of denying access to constitutionally adequate mental-health services.”

That lawsuit eventually resulted in a federal consent decree. And from there, the battle over jail size and for the construction of the facility known as Phase III, began to take shape. We will look back at how this project came to be, and the fate of it today.

And, there are over 20 carbon capture and sequestration projects in the works in Louisiana, and a state legislative task force is exploring the possible impacts of those projects, but many voices are being shut out of the conversation, according to some environmental advocates and attorneys.

Joining us this week, Floodlight environmental reporter Terry Jones, Lens reporters Nick Chrastil and Marta Jewson, and Lens editor Katy Reckdahl.

Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music Human Interest by Podington Bear soundofpicture.com. 

You can also listen to Behind The Lens on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other services.

 

Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman Rovira has been in media for 35 years, and is currently the podcast host and producer for Behind The Lens. Heldman served as executive director at Aspen Public Radio, an NPR affiliate, where she launched four weekly news, public affairs, and cultural affairs programs. She has been a guest lecturer at Tulane University, is a frequent guest and moderator for the Aspen Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute.