LA Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson Provides Guidance to District Judges on How to Reduce Jail and Prison Population During Outbreak

Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson has provided leadership and guidance to Louisiana District Judges on effective ways to reduce the jail population in Louisiana during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Her guidance provides direct action that will help districts and parishes safely reduce their incarcerated populations, leading to improved public safety for all Louisiana citizens.

Chief Justice Johnson asserts in her letter that “Louisiana has a significantly higher-than-average parish jail population. An outbreak of COVID-19 in our jails would be potentially catastrophic for jail staff, the families of jail staff, and inmates. Therefore at this time, it is important to safely minimize he number of people detained in jails where possible.”

Read Chief Justice Johnson’s letter re COVID-19 and Louisiana’s jail population.