As Reports of Continued Problems at the New Orleans, Louisiana Jail Multiply, the Director Quits
On Monday, January 29, 2018, the Director appointed to address problems at the New Orleans Jail in New Orleans, Louisiana, quit. There was a status hearing that day, in which a litany of problems was discussed. The director began work in October 2016. A lawsuit had been filed over conditions at the jail, resulting in a 2012 jail compliance agreement. The jail moved to a new location in 2015, but the location itself seemed to have nothing to do with the activities at the jail. Suicide attempts and prisoner violence continued at the new facility. Shortly after the new director was hired, in 2016, a 15-year-old succeeded in committing suicide by hanging; and another suicide occurred a few months later.
Among the problems that are recognized at the New Orleans jail are: Prisoner suicides, fights between prisoners, drug overdoses, other smuggled contraband, inadequate staffing, poor training, and a lack of written policies. Mental healthcare is also inadequate, particularly for women prisoners. Margo Frasier is a court-appointed monitor of the situation and former Texas sheriff. At the hearing about jail conditions, she said she smelled marijuana smoke during a weekend jail visit. She said that on 10 occasions in recent months, Narcan had been used in the treatment of opioid overdoses. On three of those occasions, a prisoner died from an overdose.
Dr. Raymond Patterson, a court-appointed expert, testified at the hearing that, due to inadequate supervision, prisoners frequently manage to secure sharp objects and other items that can be used in suicide attempts.
At the hearing, Frasier insisted that the problems can all be fixed. However, there are growing concerns as problems continue to mount.
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