From Public Welfare Foundation:
In 2020, Louisiana had the highest per capita prison population in the United States, with an incarceration rate of 589 per 100,000 residents. In addition to the highest incarceration rate, Louisiana also has the highest percentage of people serving natural life without the possibility of parole at 16.6%. One-quarter of the current prison population is over 50 years old.
The state’s prison population has more than doubled in the last 30 years. The resulting disproportionately high incarceration rate in the state is a function
of several variables, including excessively long or mandatory sentences, limited releases through parole, and multi-billing practices in several parishes. Furthermore, Louisiana is also unique among states in the extensive use of local jails (instead of state prisons) to house people convicted
of state crimes.
Interviews with movement leaders and advocates across the state highlighted factors that they consider essential to understanding why Louisiana has consistently had the highest incarceration rate in the U.S.: racism and lack of accountability.
Read the full report here.
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