By LaVonna Varnado-Brown
Recently re-elected Governor John Bel Edwards spent a year boasting that Louisiana had lost its title as the highest incarcerated state in the U.S. Information released by the Vera Institute of Justice in April called that statement into question, concluding that Louisiana still had the top incarceration rate in the country at the end of 2018, five months after the governor announced that the state had lost that title to Oklahoma.
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The vast majority of the millions in prison should be released tomorrow with access to homes, jobs, and support to get on their feet. They need to be reunited with their families and communities.
In November, Oklahoma ordered the largest mass commutation in United States history. This release was made possible by an overwhelming popular vote in a state-wide referendum which reduced many charges to misdemeanors instead of felonies. Despite the vote, it took three years for the state politicians to respect the results and pass a bill for commutation, keeping some prisoners years longer. At least 462 non-violent inmates were released. A total of 527 inmates had their sentences commuted, but 65 of them have detainers and will be released later.
“Had these inmates served their full uncommuted sentence, it could have cost the State of Oklahoma approximately $11.9 million for continued incarceration based upon the average costs,” the Pardon and Parole Board said. Oklahoma also provided inmates with opportunities to acquire a state ID before being released. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections held its first “transition fairs” for inmates at 28 facilities across the state, the Pardon and Parole Board said. This type of programming is a first step towards rehabilitation as opposed to a completely punitive system.
Louisiana must start decarcerating human beings who are being jailed for minor drug offenses that the rich are now profiting from. We can take the lead and say: No more cash bail! No more private detention centers! Free mothers to go home to their children! Free all prisoners of a punitive, racially and economically unjust criminal system!