Speak Truth LOUISIANA
Educate / Motivate / Activate
Speak Truth Louisiana is a group of citizens committed to ensuring equity and access in minority and poor communities. Speak Truth Louisiana aims to raise awareness, educate, motivate and drive action to affect positive change in the areas of Criminal Justice, Housing, Education, Policy, Healthcare, and Economic Development. We will develop, lead, and/or coordinate, where appropriate to galvanize and drive results.
The first initiative we are tackling is Criminal Justice in Louisiana by creating awareness, building advocacy and supporting action for the criminal justice reforms being presented during this year’s legislative session. |
Louisiana leads the world in incarceration.” |
Louisiana incarcerates people for nonviolent offenses far more than other states do. The state of Louisiana sends more people to prison for drug, property, and other nonviolent offenses at twice the rate of South Carolina and three times the rate of Florida, even though these states had nearly identical crime rates. More than half of those sent to prison in Louisiana in 2015 had simply failed on community supervision. Among the rest—those sentenced directly to prison rather than probation—the top 10 crimes were all nonviolent, the most common by far being drug possession.
Another reason Louisiana leads in incarceration is prison sentences. These sentences, even for common non-violent offenses and juveniles, have gotten longer and the Parole Board is hearing fewer cases, partly due to dozens of new parole restrictions passed by the Legislature. By the end of 2015, nearly 20 percent of those in Louisiana’s prisons had been there longer than 10 years.* |
"The number of prisoners has increased five-fold since the late 1970’s, growing 30 times faster than the state resident population."
Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force, 2017 |
Did You Know?
Louisiana Spends $700,000,000 Per Year On Prisons
Louisiana could save $305 million by reducing the prison population by 13% by 2027. It could reinvest $154 million dollars of savings into research-based programs that reduce recidivism and services that support victims of crime.* Juveniles Convicted to Life Without Parole in Louisiana Have Not Received the Proper Parole Hearings As Mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court Miller v. Alabama decision declared that automatic sentences of life without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders. The U.S. Supreme Court decision Montgomery v. Louisiana retroactively applies the Miller decision ensuring all juveniles convicted to life without parole shall be eligible for a parole hearing. Louisiana's Habitual Offender Law Does NOT Distinguish Between Violent and Non-Violent Offenses
If you have a prior conviction in Louisiana, no matter what it is, you can be sentenced to the same or longer term as someone who commits a violent crime. |
Get Involved!
Contact us to get more information and find out ways you can get involved.
*Source: Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Task Force Report and Recommendations 2017, PDF