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New Orleans Criminal Justice System is failing and has been teetering
for years. A weak CJS contributes to crime in many ways. Since 6% of
the criminals in a community are responsible for 75% of the crime
getting them behind bars is critical.
New Orleans has a reputation for catching only a small percentage of violent criminals. Then the DA has a reputation for convicting an even smaller
percentage. Some of the judges seem all to ready to cut criminals loose.
The police and DA don't coordinate their activities well. Police
reports vital to prosecution are delayed, poor quality, and onerous for
police to produce. Subpoenas for police to testify in court are often
ignored, misdirected, and otherwise ineffective.
Criminals from around the county migrate to New Orleans where their chances of being sent to prison are slim.
An immediate, well funded overall approach to improving the CJS is needed. The Mayor's decision to appoint a CJS Coordinator was a step in the right direction, but it will take action, funding, some legislation and lots of vitality to make a difference.
But first there must be agreement on the Goal of the CJS. When the community, the CJS, and the lawmakers are in agreement, the solution will be forthcoming. Today there is great disagreement.
The community doesn't want all its sons and daughters sent to jail so it resists the police. The police respond with justified anger and make a bad situation worse. The DA is overwhelmed, and without community support can't get much done. Some judges get tough, others get going. (Elloie decided unilaterally that too many people were in jail and let some out.) Legislators are left trying to decide if tougher laws and mandatory sentencing guidelines are needed to crack down on crime.
The War on Crime becomes just another war we are waging against ourselves. It won't work. We can't win until we agree on the Goal and focus our energies on achieving the Goal.
What will the community, the police, the jurisprudence system and the legislators argree on? A CJS coordinator ought to use some of the same energy that's been focused on planning the reconstruction like UNOP to discover the Goal of the CJS and devise an action plan to make it happen. A regional approach might be timely. With the right approach the citizens will support the plan and there will be no further need for the piecemeal solutions we've been offered until now.
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