PSC may flip-flop on prison phone rates at Wednesday meeting, ex-chairman fears
Providers of prison phone services have been fighting hard to reverse the cut in rates and fees approved by the Public Service Commission in December
Category
Criminal Justice
Asking why and how, and what needs to be done.
Former jail official, friend of sheriff, pleads guilty to federal bribery charge
John Sens, who used to be purchasing director, admits to taking kickbacks for rigging contract bids.
Does stunning collapse of River Birch case portend uglier revelations ahead?
Now it appears that there may have been more serious and systemic problems during Letten’s term than we ever knew.
Sheriff’s former purchasing director to plead guilty to bribery on Wednesday
Despite mayor’s flipflop on decree, city winnows list of would-be police monitors
A committee's business today was to winnow the dozen bids for the monitor's job down to a lucky five.
Slashed budget leaves hundreds of indigent defendants lawyerless
The city’s numerous new anti-violence and anti-crime initiatives are driving the spike in cases that involve multiple defendants, the public defenders office says. One recent case had 10 co-defendants.
Councilwoman agrees that sheriff needs another building for more prisoners
Orleans Parish Prison plan doesn't include space for mentally ill; sheriff proposing 600-bed expansion.
Feds charge two former sheriff’s employees in bid-rigging, bribery scheme
Sens and Hoffman “engaged in a rigged bidding process in which real bids would be submitted, along with phony bids, to give the appearance of competition.”
Judge in BP civil trial providing public with unusual access to web, records
Ban on laptops in the courtroom lifted; reporters can sign up for Web access for real-time reporting.
Private group upgrades criminal-justice computers, but who’s in charge?
The myriad criminal-justice agencies in New Orleans have benefitted from efforts by a local foundation to increase the efficiency and cooperation of sharing information. But even the federal supporters of the program have raised questions about who's in charge -- and who will have to pay to maintain this new system.
