‘We helped each other. We taught each other the law.’
Calvin Duncan, one of the finest inmate counsels to ever file a writ from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, releases his autobiography today, July 8. The Lens is honored to publish an excerpt from this highly anticipated book, The Jailhouse Lawyer.
From prison to justice
Calvin Duncan’s fight to free himself and others from a broken system — an interview by Bernard Smith.
‘I saw this coming.’
“The escapees didn’t run because the sheriff opened the door for holistic healing,” writes Henderson-Uloho, who taught decarceration classes in the jail. “They escaped because the people hired to provide custody, care, and control neglected their care and weaponized the control.”
Air pollution questions linger over Alabo Street Wharf
Sunrise Foods released air-quality assessments scant in detail. But early last month, LDEQ accelerated the company’s approval for its air-permit application.
‘Ride for Peace’ Brings New Orleanians together to interrupt violence and build community
Part protest, part celebration, the Ride for Peace Sopped at City Hall and pedaled through neighborhoods long affected by violence.
NOPD is using images of you from more than 5,000 cameras across the city
“After years of FOIA requests and research, I know that NOPD is lying about their unlawful use of Project NOLA and facial-recognition software,” says the writer. The surveillance-camera issue is slated to be discussed at 10 a.m. today (Monday) at the City Council’s criminal-justice committee meeting.
Behind The Lens episode 276: ‘Breathing poison air’
Delaney Dryfoos on Louisiana's decidion to classify natural gas, a fossil fuel, as "green energy." Brian Bienkowski on air pollutants effects on pregnant women and findings about early labor.
Council pushes mayor to institute a 60-40 city-school split for school-zone ticket revenue
A state law passed last year required cities to share a portion of school-zone camera tickets with the schools themselves. But the City of New Orleans and local schools have not yet agreed on how to split the money.
Fannie C. Williams School suspended child; told her to come back with ‘mental health’ eval
It’s unclear how the school’s order affected the student, who did return, but sporadically. But the school district sent Fannie C. Williams administrators a serious ‘notice of noncompliance’ in the case, which is still under investigation.