NEW ORLEANS – On Tuesday, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, which represents the people in the Orleans Parish jail consent decree litigation Jones v. Gusman, issued the following statement, concerning the federal court order approving the agreement to have the court appoint an Independent Jail Compliance Director with final authority and administrative control over the Orleans Parish jail.

Katie M. Schwartzmann, Co-Director of the New Orleans office of the MacArthur Justice Center, stated the following:

“This litigation was filed four years ago to address the dangerous conditions faced by the men, women and youth in the Orleans Parish jail.  A year after the filing, in June 2013, the Court entered a Consent Decree requiring essential reforms to the way the jail is operated. Three years later, the reforms have not been implemented, and the people in the jail continue to face serious and ongoing danger.  Accordingly, the plaintiff prisoner class and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion on April 25 seeking the appointment of an outside individual to provide independent oversight and management of the jail. 

“The agreement announced today creating an Independent Jail Compliance Director position over the Orleans Parish jail marks a significant step forward in continuing efforts to make the 2013 court ordered reforms a reality and to improve the safety of people held in the jail.

“The Orleans Parish jail remains in dire need of a complete overhaul, including personnel, policies, and institutional culture.  The new Independent Jail Compliance Director will be an individual with experience in corrections who will have the final authority over all operations at the jail, including final oversight of all policies. That person will have the final authority to hire, fire and reassign staff, as well as the final authority to make whatever decisions are necessary to move the jail toward compliance with the Consent Decree. 

“This change in leadership and the addition of correctional management experience is critical to speeding reform at the jail.  We are hopeful that the Sheriff will likewise support the changes necessary to create significant and lasting reform at the Orleans Parish jail.

“Given the urgency of the situation, the City, the Department of Justice, and the plaintiff class have already begun the search for the best individual to serve as the Independent Jail Compliance Director and to have final authority and administrative control over the Orleans Parish jail.  A copy of the job description will be posted on the MacArthur Justice Center website (www.NewOrleans.MacArthurJusticeCenter.org), and applications can be sent to: opso.compliancedirector@usdoj.gov.

“There is still an enormous amount of work to be done to ensure the safety of people being held in the jail. We are committed to working together with the other parties and the new Independent Compliance Director to do it.”