Louisiana
Another audit finds flaws with how Louisiana decides when to release people from prison
For years in Louisiana, a flawed state system has caused some inmates to stay behind bars beyond their release dates, a problem that has sparked lawsuits and even a federal investigation.
Now, a report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor has found that the Department of Public Safety & Corrections does not have an adequate review process to ensure changes to release dates are accurately calculated.
It’s the fourth time the auditor’s office has made such a finding, according to Barrett Hunter, the agency’s assistant director.
The corrections department disputed the findings, asserting in a response to the report that its review process is indeed adequate and noting the auditor did not find any errors in the release date calculations it reviewed.
During their incarceration, inmates’ release dates change as they earn credits for good behavior, or lose them due to disciplinary action, in which case the state must determine a new release date. Officials said supervisors provide a “second level review” of such calculations.
But the audit found there was not always evidence that such reviews were taking place. In 31 cases where an inmate’s release date changed, the audit found that 20 calculations “did not have reviewer initials or other support to indicate the change entered in the system was reviewed by someone other than the preparer.”
An inadequate review process increases the risk that inmates are held past their release dates, Hunter said.
That is a problem that has plagued the corrections department for years. In 2023, the Department of Justice found the state regularly violated the Constitution by detaining people for too long. For a period in 2022, 1 in 4 inmates were held past their release dates, federal investigators said, estimating that such errors cost the state $2.5 million a year as it paid to continue housing inmates.
State officials have known since at least 2012 that the release date calculations process was flawed. Because half of state inmates are housed in local jails, delays in transferring paperwork between agencies have contributed to that problem.
In its response to the audit, the DOC said it is deploying a statewide electronic document upload portal that will “streamline the document intake process” and allow the agency to track uploads in real time.
The agency also said it plans to launch a computer program later this year that can calculate release dates, reducing human error.
In a statement, William Most, an attorney who has fought lawsuits on behalf of clients who say they were incarcerated for too long, said overdetention takes a toll.
“Doing time in prison is hard. But it is even harder to be in prison when you know you should be free — and no one will tell you when you are going to get out,” he said.
A spokesperson for the DOC declined to comment beyond the agency’s formal response to the audit.
Hunter said the DOC has made improvements to its system, such as fixing initial release date calculation problems at inmate intake. The agency also has implemented regular reviews of release date calculations, he said.
The audit comes after Louisiana passed a sweeping set of laws this year that will lengthen prison sentences, making it more difficult to earn good time credits and all but eliminating the possibility of parole.
A report from the Crime and Justice Institute at the Community Resources for Justice, a Boston-based nonprofit, found the prison population could double due to the new laws. Louisiana already has the highest incarceration rate in the nation.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — For 67 public school districts in Louisiana, the new law that requires them to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms goes into effect Wednesday (Jan. 1), despite a federal judge issuing an injunction on behalf of plaintiffs who sued from five other school boards to block the measure.
The American Civil Liberties Union threatens to sue any school district that follows through with the law, sending mixed signals for educators going into the new year.
The ACLU joined other free speech and religious freedom groups in a lawsuit against the state after Gov. Jeff Landry signed HB 71 into law over the summer. The law requires public K-12 and state-funded university classrooms to display a poster-sized, state-approved version of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font.”
Federal judge John W. DeGravelles ruled the plaintiffs have adequately demonstrated the likely unconstitutionality of the law and that it would lead to unconstitutional religious coercion of students. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals then ruled that the injunction only applies to the school boards named in the lawsuit: East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammany and Vernon.
“If you are not part of the lawsuit, you are not under the judge’s order,” said Andrew Perry, staff attorney for the ACLU of Louisiana.
Before schools let out for winter break, the ACLU of Louisiana sent a letter to all superintendents for school boards not in the lawsuit, warning them of the federal judge’s ruling and that if any other district displays the Ten Commandments, it also would be sued.
“Compliance with the law would be engaging in unconstitutional conduct and we urge them not to post the Ten Commandments,” Perry said.
The letter said in part: “Even though your district is not a party to the ongoing lawsuit, and therefore is not technically subject to the district court’s injunction, all school districts have an independent obligation to respect students’ and families’ constitutional rights. Because the U.S. Constitution supersedes state law, public school officials may not comply with H.B. 71.”
In response, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sent out her own statement, saying she will support any school district that hangs up the Ten Commandments in 2025. She said guidelines will be offered to show districts how they can abide by the new law, and how citizens can print and donate posters that meet the state guidelines. Murrill’s office did not say when those guidelines will be available.
Her statement reads: “HB 71 requires Louisiana classrooms to reflect certain displays of the Ten Commandments as students return from winter break. This week, I will publish guidance to schools on how to comply — in a constitutionally sound manner — with HB 71, including specific displays that citizens may print and donate to their schools.
“I have received inquiries regarding whether a federal court injunction against five school boards (Livingston, St. Tammany, Vernon, East Baton Rouge, and Orleans) prevents other schools from complying with HB 71. It does not. The injunction does not bind schools who are not parties to that litigation, which is ongoing in the Fifth Circuit. Accordingly, I look forward to working with the remainder of our schools as they come into compliance with HB 71.”
Meanwhile, Murrill and the state face another lawsuit tied to HB 71 that was filed by New Orleans history teacher Chris Dier. He says he recently brought up his lawsuit to his high school class before the semester exams.
“I remember asking how many know that I am currently suing the state, and all but one raised their hand. And then the questions started flowing,” Dier said.
Dier says he wanted to file his own lawsuit to emphasize constitutional protections for educators and students in the classroom.
“This would inevitably alienate Catholics, non-Christians, Muslims, Jewish students, Hindu students, atheist students,” Dier said. “Students want to feel seen. They want to be heard and valued.”
While the legal battles play out, Dier says he wants to spend time in the new year educating his class on the impact of the Ten Commandments law in Louisiana and the rest of the country.
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Elizabeth Fontenot, a Baton Rouge nurse-midwife and mother of four children ranging in age from six to 11, took her children to the park in order to have time for this interview with the newspaper. While discussing the stress of parenting, she was interrupted three times by her children with questions. She answered each query and returned to the conversation.
When each of her children reached the ages of eight or nine, she and her husband noticed an increase in emotions when their children experienced disappointment. Not knowing how to respond to help them manage their emotions, Fontenot said, is a stressful part of parenting.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, The U.S. Surgeon General, issued an advisory on the mental health of parents in August of 2024.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, pictured here on May 20, 2016 in Washington, D.C.
Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents highlights the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers, the link between parental mental health and children’s long-term well-being, and the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers and families.
The report shares that there are 63 million parents living with children under the age of 18 in the U.S. There are also millions of nonparent caregivers who are caring for children.
According to 2023 data in the report, 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults, and 48% of parents said that most days their stress is completely overwhelming compared to 26% among other adults — citing the significant mental labor involved with parenting as a negative impact on cognitive functioning and psychological well-being.
When stress is severe or prolonged, it can have a serious effect. For example, 41% of parents said that most days they are so stressed that they cannot function.
If unmanaged, the report says, the stress can become a more severe mental health challenge that can have profound impacts on the well-being of children, families and society. A mental health challenge refers to difficulties that individuals may face which affect their mental health without meeting the criteria of a diagnosable condition.
Louisiana is listed as one of the 12 states with the highest rate of depression among adults, between 24% and 29% in the Public Affairs Research Council data snapshot from November of 2023, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Baton Rouge licensed therapist Allison Schoonmaker, of Crossroads Professional Counseling and mother to one son, sees the pressures on parents in her practice.
Allison Schoonmaker, licensed therapist for Crossroad Professional Counseling.
“The expectations in general for parenting have just skyrocketed, and that has really had a negative effect on parents’ mental health,” said Schoonmaker. “As expectations have skyrocketed, the availability and resources of parents haven’t really changed, so there is ultimately more stress.”
Common stressors
Amanda Ott, mom of two and ninth grade counselor at Denham Springs High School, said economic stressors and family crises impact her students. As a part of Mighty Moms, a Livingston parish group that provides snacks and food to students, Ott has observed an uptick in the need for food assistance among her students.
Amanda Ott, ninth grade counselor at Denham Springs High School.
“In the past, it’s always been like a handful of kids who would come get food,” she said. “Now if I forget, or if I’m not at school, or the kid forgets, the parent will call and ask to come get that food. They rely on it because they just can’t afford the groceries that are needed.”
Financial pressure is one of the major stressors on parent and guardian mental health. Other common stressors mentioned in the report include:
- Time demands
- Children’s health
- Children’s safety
- Parental isolation and loneliness
- Technology and social media
- Cultural pressures and children’s futures
Schoonmaker identified parents’ obsessive concerns for children’s safety, children’s social relationships and children’s social media use as the largest stressors for her clients. Parental isolation is also a common stressor, she adds.
“All our parenting decisions are under a greater microscope than ever before,” she said. “More information is not necessarily helpful information, and our awareness of negative things that are happening beyond our reach makes parents feel unsafe — increasing fear.”
Kirsten Bowers Raby, a single mom of three boys ages 6, 16 and 21, said carrying the emotional load on top of everything else contributes to her parental stress because she doesn’t have a partner’s opinion to help guide decisions for her kids.
Ott cites time demands and cultural pressures “to always be available” as the two main stressors in her friend groups.
“You have to be at everything for your kids, who are involved in so much, so you’re spread so thin between work and all the extracurricular stuff. It’s a different struggle with the expectations put on the kids and parents. I do it, too,” she said. “Like, keeping up with the Joneses and making sure your kid has every opportunity.”
Managing stressors
The Surgeon General’s Advisory calls for a shift in culture, policies and programs to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive.
Schoonmaker said the human brain is not made to process the amount of information accessible daily, and she suggested that parents minimize their own social media use and news intake by “turning back the clock” to a less-internet focused lifestyle.
Both Ott and Schoonmaker advise more in-person meetings with friends, family, work peers and groups to stave off the loneliness and isolation that parents feel.
“We still need that personal interaction to actually sit down and talk to see that other people are also struggling with the same things,” said Ott. “You see that you’re not alone. Finding your village is so important in today’s world.”
ATLANTA, Dec. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chart Industries, Inc. (NYSE: GTLS) (“Chart”), a global leader in clean energy and industrial gas solutions, has received the order from Bechtel for the supply of our Integrated Pre-Cooled Single Mixed Refrigerant (“IPSMR®”) liquefaction technology and cold boxes for Phase 1 of Woodside Energy Group Ltd’s (ASX: WDS; NYSE: WDS) (“Woodside”) Louisiana LNG development opportunity. Louisiana LNG is owned and operated by Woodside and managed by Bechtel Energy Inc. (“Bechtel”), as the EPC contractor, is located in Louisiana, USA and was previously known as the Driftwood LNG project.
Under the order awarded in December 2024, Chart will support Phase 1 of Louisiana LNG by providing two LNG plants comprising 16 cold boxes in total for 11 MTPA of production. Each LNG plant includes four Heavies Removal Cold Boxes and four LNG Liquefaction Cold Boxes.
Chart’s IPSMR® process, renowned for its energy efficiency and reliability, will provide a critical component of the liquefaction technology, supporting Woodside Energy’s mission to deliver cleaner energy solutions.
“We are proud to partner with Bechtel and Woodside on this significant LNG project,” said Jill Evanko, CEO and President of Chart Industries. “Our IPSMR® technology and associated equipment will play a key role in supporting Woodside’s LNG production on schedule, delivering both efficiency and sustainability to meet global energy needs.”
About Chart Industries
Chart Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of process technologies and equipment for gas and liquid molecule handling for the Nexus of Clean™ – clean power, clean water, clean food, and clean industrials, regardless of molecule. The company’s unique product and solution portfolio across stationary and rotating equipment is used in every phase of the liquid gas supply chain, including engineering, service and repair and from installation to preventive maintenance and digital monitoring. Chart is a leading provider of technology, equipment and services related to liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, biogas and CO2 capture amongst other applications. Chart is committed to excellence in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues both for its company as well as its customers. With 64 global manufacturing locations and over 50 service centers from the United States to Asia, Australia, India, Europe and South America, the company maintains accountability and transparency to its team members, suppliers, customers and communities. To learn more, visit www.chartindustries.com.
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