Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition

THE ORLEANS PARISH PRISON REFORM COALITION (OPPRC) IS A DIVERSE, GRASSROOTS COALITION OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS NEW ORLEANS WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TO SHRINK THE SIZE OF THE JAIL AND IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT FOR THOSE HELD IN DETENTION IN ORLEANS PARISH.

END MONEY BAIL - OPPRC WAS COMMITTED TO ENDING THE UNJUST PRACTICE OF MONEY BAIL IN NEW ORLEANS, AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMS BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, DRAINS PUBLIC RESOURCES, AND CRIMINALIZES POVERTY. THANKS TO OPPRCS ADVOCACY AND WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL PASSED A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER THE PROCEEDS FROM THE STATES USER-FEE-BASED JUSTICE SYSTEM TO THE CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.

HELP NOT HANDCUFFS CAMPAIGN - OPPRC ORGANIZED THE COMMUNITY, AND THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES OFFICERS TO ISSUE A SUMMONS IN LIEU OF ARREST FOR LOW-LEVEL ARRESTS AND MISDEMEANOR VIOLATIONS. AS COVID-19 SPREAD THROUGH NEW ORLEANS IN THE SPRING OF 2020, OPPRC PRESSURED THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT (NOPD) TO STOP ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR LOW-LEVEL OFFENSES. THEN, AS NEW ORLEANS BECAME A HOTSPOT FOR COVID-19, NOPD OFFICERS CONTINUED TO BRING PEOPLE TO JAIL FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS. OPPRC WORKED TO CHANGE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ARREST POLICY. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, OPPRC AND PARTNERS EXCHANGED LETTERS WITH NOPD SUPERINTENDENT SHAUN FERGUSON AND CITY OF NEW ORLEANS MAYOR CANTRELL CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN ARREST POLICY THAT WOULD DECREASE UNNECESSARY, PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. TO STRENGTHEN ADVOCACY, OPPRC HELPED AMPLIFY A MOTORCADE PROTEST TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE, CREATED A PETITION DEMANDING A CHANGE IN ARREST PROTOCOL, AND ORGANIZED PHONE BANK EVENTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PRESSURE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THE PASSAGE OF THIS ORDINANCE REDUCED UNNECESSARY PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, REDUCED THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS SUBJECT TO DETAINMENT DANGERS DURING THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND PROTECTED THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH BY MINIMIZING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN THE JAIL, AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. OPPRC PUSHED NOPD TO STOP ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR LOW-LEVEL OFFENSES AND TO END INFORMATIONAL CHECKPOINTS THAT WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOCATED IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, OPPRC CREATED A FACEBOOK GROUP TO MONITOR WHERE THE NOPD CHECKPOINTS WERE LOCATED AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY-AT-LARGE. AS A RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS AND COMMUNITY PRESSURE, THE NOPD CLOSED THE CHECKPOINTS.

STOP ORLEANS JUSTICE CENTER PHASE III EXPANSION (SMALLER JAIL) OPPRC CONTINUED TO FIGHT AGAINST A PROPOSED NEW JAIL BUILDING (KNOWN LOCALLY AS PHASE III) WHILE ADVOCATING FOR A RETROFIT OPTION, WHICH WOULD SIMPLY RENOVATE THE EXISTING ORLEANS PARISH PRISON TO ACCOMMODATE SPECIAL-NEEDS PRISONERS (E.G., THE ACUTELY MENTALLY ILL) INSTEAD OF NEW AND COSTLY CONSTRUCTION. FOLLOWING OPPRCS YEARS OF ADVOCATING AGAINST JAIL EXPANSION UNDER THE GUISE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE, THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE ALTERNATIVE JAIL RETROFIT PLAN AND HALTING PHASE III CONSTRUCTION. KEY COMMUNITY LEADERS INCLUDING MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL AND THE NEW ORLEANS MEDICAL COMMUNITYVOCALLY OPPOSED CONSTRUCTING THE PROPOSED PHASE III FACILITY IN FAVOR OF THE COST-SAVING RETROFIT OPTION. OPPRC ORGANIZED A WEEK-LONG LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN THAT RESULTED IN MORE THAN 900 COMMUNITY MEMBERS SENDING LETTERS TO FEDERAL JUDGES TO SUPPORT THE ALTERNATIVE RETROFIT AND DEMANDING THAT FEDERAL JUDGES HALT PLANS TO BUILD A PHASE III MENTAL HEALTH JAIL.