“Now, you can’t even tell who’s the child and who’s the parent. We lost that structure, and instead we got babies having babies. We need to address that.” — John Thompson
Category: Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff: Jail will have more inmates in 2012
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman expects to increase the number of inmates in his jail from 3,100 to 3,400 next year, he said during a public hearing Friday. Gusman confirmed the expected increase even as an advisory group assembled by Mayor Mitch Landrieu is working to set […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics, Investigations
Deputies working private, off-duty details pay into fund used by sheriff for questionable discretionary spending
A lucrative private-security program staffed by deputies provides Sheriff Marlin Gusman with about $100,000 in discretionary money that he uses for questionable expenditures.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff's Office special taxing district to hold hearing on 2012 budget; little info available
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A little-scrutinized but powerful government body run by Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman is holding a public hearing on its budget on Friday, though scant information on the budget has been made available. The organization is the taxpayer financed Orleans Parish Law Enforcement District. By law, the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
Coalition urges mayor to 'man up' and fulfill promises on jail size and budget reforms
Jail reform coalition member Norris Henderson hands a 2,200-signature petition to Councilwoman Susan Guidry’s chief of staff, Deborah Langhoff, at City Hall this afternoon. Photo by Matt Davis. By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A reform coalition, calling for a smaller, more accountably budgeted jail, dropped off two copies of a 2,200-signature petition […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff's deputy arrested after telling investigators he smuggled phones into jail
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | An Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested this weekend and charged with three counts each of possession of contraband and malfeasance in office after admitting that he brought cell phones into the jail for use by prisoners on three separate occasions. The deputy’s arrest comes after […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics
After more than six months, deputies finally get paid for security work at city auto pound
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Sheriff Marlin Gusman finally paid some of the thousands of dollars he owed to reserve deputies who have been working a security detail at the city’s auto impound lot since May. The sheriff is staffing these security spots through a contract with the city. But the city […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Cannizzaro begs council for more money, but members unlikely to give much of a bump
By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | Despite District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s impassioned plea to the City Council Tuesday to boost city spending on his office by more than $1 million, council members pushed back and encouraged him to trim even more. Cannizzaro’s office was one of four groups to appear in front of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Weeks after saying the checks were coming, Gusman still hasn't paid deputies for work
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A month after saying he would do it, Sheriff Marlin Gusman has not paid thousands of dollars to reserve deputies who have been working a security detail at the city’s auto impound lot since May. “I feel like he lied to us,” said a deputy who originally […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff borrows another $5 million for jail
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman held a six-minute meeting of a little-scrutinized agency he controls this afternoon to issue $5 million of taxpayer-financed bonds to help build his new jail. Gusman still has the ability to issue as much as $30 million more in bonds, permission voters […]