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Louisiana’s High Incarceration Rate Economically Motivated
It’s a well-known fact that the United States has around five percent of the world’s population but incarcerates approximately 25% of the world’s prisoners. Within that disturbing statistic is Louisiana, which has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the nation – with the U.S. Department of Justice reporting …
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More from this issue:
- Ohio Pays More Than $9.6 Million to Three Men Wrongfully Convicted in 1975 Murder, by Lonnie Burton
- Federal Transgender Prisoner Allowed to Wear Feminine Clothing at Video Trial
- New Jersey: Jail Time for Unpaid Littering Fine Results in Civil Suit
- Fifth Circuit Holds Court May Compel Attorney to Represent Indigent Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas Court of Appeals Upholds Termination of Prisoners’ Parental Rights
- Colorado: Demonstrators Clash with Police over Seizure of Jury Nullification Pamphlets, by Joe Watson
- Prisoner Suicides and Attempts Increasing in Texas, by Matthew Clarke
- Attorneys with Disciplinary Records Part of Flaw in Pennsylvania’s Death Penalty System, by David Reutter
- Louisiana’s High Incarceration Rate Economically Motivated, by David Reutter
- Fifth Circuit: Staff Misleading Prisoner about Grievance Process Excuses Failure to Exhaust, by Matthew Clarke
- New Jersey Appellate Court Modifies Use of Polygraphs for Paroled Sex Offenders
- Local Police Department Disbanded in Wake of Speed Trap Embezzlement Scheme, by Christopher Zoukis
- The Financial Firm that Cornered the Market on Jails, by Arun Gupta
- Ohio: Garnishment from Exempt Funds in Prison Account States Mandamus Claim
- Despite Lack of State License, ICE Family Detention Center Continues Operating
- Settlement in Baltimore Prison Conditions Class-action Suit
- Defense Attorneys Seek Access to DNA-Matching Software’s Source Code, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas District Attorney and Prosecutor Accused, Cleared of Misconduct, by Matthew Clarke
- Prisoner’s Escape from Illinois Jail Aided by Former Guard, Incompetence, by Christopher Zoukis
- Jailers in California, Georgia Acquitted of Abusing Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- Philadelphia Prison Guards Face Prison Time for Contraband Smuggling
- Rikers Island Guard Trainers Lose Lawsuit for Failure to Repay Loan
- Arkansas Judge Resigns after Sexual Favors Allegations
- Peanut Company Executives Appeal Prison Sentences in Rare Corporate Prosecution, by Christopher Zoukis
- Michigan Jail Prisoner’s Family Sues over Death after Beating by Guards
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Qualified Immunity for Prisoner’s Rape, Affirms for One Jailer
- Prisoners Say They Paid a Bloody Price for a Guard’s Injury, by Tom Robbins
- Australia, New Zealand and UK Have Higher Proportion of Prisoners in Private Prisons
- Overcrowding in Arkansas Prisons, Jails Spurs Call for Reforms, by David Reutter
- Georgia: Dozens of Indictments for Prison Contraband Smuggling, by David Reutter
- Youths Still Dying in Florida Juvenile Detention Centers from Abuse, Neglect, by David Reutter
- Georgia Prisoner Caught Sneaking into Prison Charged with Escape
- Michigan Prison Officials Held in Contempt for Violating Ramadan Order, by David Reutter
- Study Examines Professional License Restrictions for Ex-offenders, by Derek Gilna
- Federal Strikes Do Not Count as Strikes for Georgia PLRA
- Delaware Prisoners Demand Education, Rehabilitation, by Monte McCoin
- $60,000 for Nevada Prisoner Forced to Remove His Own Teeth, by Derek Gilna
- Chicago Pays $4.95 Million to Family of Prisoner Who Died After Police Beating, by Lonnie Burton
- Red Light Traffic Camera CEO Sentenced for Corruption in Ohio and Illinois
- Ban the Box Movement Spreads to More States, Municipalities
- New York Prisoner’s $150,001 Judgment Reversed Due to Hearsay Evidence
- Judge Orders Missouri DOC to Disclose Names of Pharmacies that Supply Execution Drugs; Appellate Court Reverses, by Lonnie Burton
- Medicare Penalties Await Released Prisoners Who Apply After Age 65, by Derek Gilna
- $1.5M Settlement in Oklahoma Jail Beating, by Lonnie Burton
- PCI Announces 2016 Awards for Private Prison Activism, Advocacy and News Reporting
- Tragic Justice: Wrongfully Convicted Prisoners Die Shortly After Exoneration, by Matthew Clarke
- The Violent American Epidemic You Won’t Hear About: Why Prison Abuse Goes Unreported and Unpunished, by Daniel Denvir
- When an Old Law Makes it Hard to Fix a Troubled Jail, by Alysia Santo
- Obama Sets Record for Commutations Granted, and for Those Denied, by Derek Gilna
- Federal Court Certifies Class in Texas Prison Excessive Heat Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Escape is Latest Problem at Troubled Privately-run Texas Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief
More from David Reutter:
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Revives Deliberate Indifference Claim for Baltimore Detainee Served Rotten Food, March 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Clarifies Revocation Appeal Provides “Procedurally Appropriate Mechanism” for Raising Rogers Challenge to Unannounced Supervised Release Conditions, Vacates Revocation Judgment Based on Null Standard Conditions, March 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit: District Court Erred in Dismissing BOP Prisoner’s Medical Claim, Finds Prison Officials Made Administrative Remedies Unavailable, March 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Affirmed Denial of Guards Qualified Immunity in Disabled Detainee’s Fourteenth Amendment Claim, March 1, 2026
- The Malleable Mind in the Courtroom: Why Confident Eyewitnesses Often Provide the Least Reliable Evidence, Oct. 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- Prisoners in Oklahoma Can Now Buy Vapes, Pouches from Commissary, April 1, 2026. Medical, Statistics/Trends, Commissary, Prison Regulations.
- U.S. Sentencing Commission Report Breaks Down Federal Contraband Sentences, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Mechanical Searches/Scanners, Statistics/Trends, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- U.S. Jails Hold 52,000 Detainees for Nothing More than “Failure to Appear”, March 1, 2026. Criminal justice system reform, Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Bail/Pretrial Release, Arrest/Arraignment.
- Minnesota Study Shows Disproportionate Rate of Health and Mental Problems for Recently Incarcerated, March 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical, Statistics/Trends, Mental Health, Health care.
- Alaska’s DOC Was $24 Million Over-Budget Last Year, Spent Most on Overtime, March 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Staffing, Guards/Staff.
- Idaho Prisons Are Full. Costs for Incarcerating Inmates in Jails and Out of State Are Skyrocketing, Feb. 1, 2026. Out of State Transfers, Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Overcrowding.
- Study Finds Parole Hearings and Grants Continue to Fall, Jan. 1, 2026. Parole Board Misconduct, Statistics/Trends, Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Parole, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
- Wisconsin DOC Is Not Tracking Work Release Data, Jan. 1, 2026. Work Release, Prison Labor, Statistics/Trends, Fair Labor Standards Act.
- New York State Closes Yet Another Prison, Dec. 1, 2025. Transfers, Work Strikes, Statistics/Trends, Staffing, Reduction of Prison Population.
- Prisoners and Detainees in the Gulf Coast Are Particularly at Risk from Natural Disasters, Dec. 1, 2025. Statistics/Trends, Shelter, Exposure to Heat, Hurricane Katrina, Immigration Detention.

