Orleans Parish Prison Tents Are Coming Down!

Orleans Parish Prison Tents Are Coming Down! We are happy to hear that Sherriff Marlin N. Gusman has announced that the massive tents in use at Orleans Parish Prison after Hurricane Katrina are finally coming down Those large eight tents – each equal in size to a high school gym – that you could see driving into New Orleans on I-10, were not only a Katrina image we can all soon forget, but they were indicative of the problems facing the jail system in our parish. The tents housed approximately 700 inmates near Perdido and Broad streets. The tents were a security nightmare as at least nine inmates over the last five years escaped, several by cutting holes in the material. Of course, the tents were really needed shortly after the infamous hurricane struck our city breaking our protection levees and dumping huge amounts of water onto our neighborhoods. Back in December of 2006 the tents were a welcome sight as the city struggled to house inmates after Hurricane Katrina virtually paralyzed the jail. When the tents are dismantled, they will be returned to the state Department of Corrections to use for other emergencies. In announcing the closing of the tents the Sherriff stated: “They were meant to be temporary — and now we’re seeing just how temporary they are,” Gusman told reporters. “Even though we’re still recovering, we’re moving forward.” We at Regan Law has happy to see improvement to the beleaguered Orleans Parish Prison facility. We are happy to see improved living conditions for all imamates and we are happy to see a reduction in the size of the prison. Louisiana has a massive prison system. Our rate of incarceration is massive. So maybe our country has not yet found alternative ways to rehabilitate offenders as of yet and jail sentences are still the preferred method of protecting society from those who violate the law. But even while incarcerated we must be concerned with humane treatment of all inmates and the protection of their civil rights. I am Attorney Martin E. Regan, Jr, and these are my personal thoughts…