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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.

COVID-19 death reported at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women

April 24, 2020 Updated April 28, 2020
The women’s prison now has more cases than any other state correctional facility in Louisiana.

Judge dismisses suit seeking releases from federal prison with COVID-19 outbreak

April 23, 2020 Updated April 23, 2020
The federal judge says he doesn’t have the authority to mandate releases of vulnerable prisoners from Oakdale. Seven Oakdale prisoners have died of the disease so far.

After expanded testing, New Orleans jail sees spike in confirmed coronavirus cases

April 22, 2020 Updated April 22, 2020
Orleans Sheriff’s Office has no plans to move patients to Camp J at Angola as other local jails have.

Orleans Public Defenders announce furloughs in face of decreased revenue due to coronavirus

April 20, 2020 Updated April 20, 2020
The cuts will affect about 67 employees.

Louisiana prison medical director steps down

April 17, 2020 Updated April 17, 2020
Morrison’s departure comes in midst of COVID-19 pandemic, litigation from prisoners.

Detainees in New Orleans, stuck in jail on parole holds, struggle to find legal recourse

April 16, 2020 Updated April 16, 2020
Parole revocation hearings have been suspended since March.

Governor sued over transfer of prisoners with coronavirus to Camp J at Angola

April 14, 2020 Updated April 14, 2020
DOC creates furlough panel to determine inmate releases.

The Louisiana Department of Health issued recommendations on how to stop the spread of coronavirus in prisons — then rescinded them

April 13, 2020 Updated April 13, 2020
Governor’s office says the memo was inadvertently released. Advocates worry politics is being placed over public health.

Louisiana federal prison starts releasing prisoners from minimum-security camp, according to inmates

April 9, 2020 Updated April 9, 2020
The releases come five days after the U.S. Attorney General directed prisons to “maximize appropriate use of home confinement.”

Following five inmate deaths, coronavirus has spread to a new facility at Louisiana federal prison

April 7, 2020 Updated April 7, 2020
The ACLU has filed a class-action suit requesting the release of medically-vulnerable prisoners.

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