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Category
Criminal Justice

Asking why and how, and what needs to be done.

Marijuana pardons passed last year should soon be reflected on criminal records, officials say

The pardons could affect roughly 10,000 cases in New Orleans.
by Nick Chrastil October 17, 2022 Updated August 3, 2026

Marijuana possession enforcement has ‘virtually vanished’ in New Orleans this year following council ordinance, NOPD policy change

Analysis shows there have been seven summonses issued in New Orleans in 2022, down from hundreds or thousands in previous years.
by Nick Chrastil October 13, 2022 Updated October 14, 2022

Federal judge says he still has received no information from Sheriff’s Office regarding jail deaths this summer

Sheriff Susan Hutson has faced ongoing criticism over lack of transparency since she took office in May.
by Nick Chrastil October 12, 2022 Updated October 12, 2022

Study: Last year, 911 calls responded to by NOPD were rarely for violent crime

Group says the statistics show a need for alternative, non-police responses.
by Nick Chrastil October 11, 2022 Updated October 12, 2022

After troubled pilot program, city moving forward with plan to respond to mental health emergencies without police

Mayor Cantrell has signed a $1.3 million contract with a non-profit to provide behavioral health crisis response services.
by Nick Chrastil October 7, 2022 Updated October 7, 2022

Report: Education in state juvenile detention inadequate

Plan to transfer juveniles to Angola facility raises concerns about education.
by Nick Chrastil and Marta Jewson September 30, 2022 Updated October 5, 2022

See where money for the controversial Phase III of the New Orleans jail is coming from 

FEMA is covering the majority of the costs for the facility, but the city has reallocated nearly $30 million for the project.
by Nick Chrastil September 29, 2022 Updated September 29, 2022

Rev. Charles Southall III charged with money laundering

A bill of information, which typically indicates that a defendant is cooperating, comes months before the federal trial of former First NBC Bank CEO Ashton Ryan, who was involved in various businesses and on a charter school board with Southall.
by Charles Maldonado and Marta Jewson September 19, 2022 Updated September 20, 2022

Several detainees injured by DOC officers during shakedown of New Orleans jail last week

Sheriff’s Office again offers little information on the operation or the alleged injuries.
by Nick Chrastil September 15, 2022 Updated September 15, 2022

US Dept. of Justice official expressed concerns over state’s ‘problematic’ plan to move kids to Angola, offered assistance

The transfers could violate federal law and open the state up to litigation, a juvenile justice official at the federal agency wrote days after the state's plan was announced.
by Nick Chrastil September 12, 2022 Updated September 14, 2022

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The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public's right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.
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