Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork wants to get New Orleans’ jail out from under its decade-old federal consent decree within her first year in office.
A 197-page report, compiled by a team of court-appointed monitors and detailing conditions at the lock-up under former Sheriff Susan Hutson, shows just how much work Woodfork has ahead of her.
Daily life inside the lock-up, which currently houses 1,451 people — 200 more than it’s supposed to based on a loose cap set by the City Council — appears bleak. There was persistent violence and rampant drug use, according to the federal monitors, who released the report last month. Supervision was lax, with hours-long intervals between required security checks, and the facility had trouble providing basic mental health services…