Federal judge has authority to order Phase III of New Orleans jail, civil rights attorneys argue
The city is attempting to halt construction of the new jail building meant to house detainees with acute mental illness.
Author: Nick Chrastil
- About Nick Chrastil
- Nicholas Chrastil covers criminal justice for The Lens. As a freelancer, his work has appeared in Slate, Undark, Mother Jones, and the Atavist, among other outlets. Chrastil has a master's degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University, where his research focused on New Orleans' newspapers during the Reconstruction era. During his time at LSU, he also covered the Louisiana state legislature as part of the Manship Statehouse Bureau. He is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
City: Renovations of jail facility to temporarily house inmates with acute mental illness now complete
A legal battle continues over a permanent housing solution.
Recent death at New Orleans jail being treated as a suicide, officials say
Robert Rettman is the third New Orleans inmate to die in jail this year.
City Council tells criminal court to return more than half-million dollars in bail and conviction fees paid by defendants over last two years
State law dictates that the money be handed over to the city
City Council passes ordinance bringing public defender budget closer to DA’s office
Public defenders call it ‘historic moment for New Orleans,’ but there are questions as to whether the ordinance is binding.
Coalition unveils DA platform aimed at ending mass incarceration in New Orleans
The People’s DA Coalition proposes ending use of the habitual offender statute and prosecuting ‘quality-of-life’ crimes, among other reforms
Proposed law seeks to bring public defender funding closer to DA’s
DA candidate Williams’ sponsored legislation would require that the city gives the defenders 85 percent of what it gives prosecutors
City says federal court doesn’t have authority to order construction of Phase III jail building
Fair Wayne Bryant, man sentenced to life in prison for attempting to steal hedge clippers in 1997, granted new parole hearing
Bryant has had parole denied three times since 2015. His new hearing is scheduled for October 15.
