(The Center Square) − Gov. Jeff Landry’s promises to tackle crime in Louisiana have included one special session, 22 signed bills and a judicial overhaul of what, at one point, was consensus and “fact based legislation”.
The Legislature’s reaction to his reforms have been predictably partisan.
Early in the most recent special legislative session, Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, presented her bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which hosts only one Democrat.
The bill removes constitutional protections for juveniles under age 17, allowing lawmakers to specify which serious felonies can be tried in adult court, perhaps leading to more minors incarcerated in adult prisons.
The bill passed both Houses without any Democrat support.
On Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission met to discuss some of the reforms and the work still needed to be done to address juvenile crime.
The partisanship and its cause quickly reveals itself.
The overwhelming majority of violent crime in Baton Rouge is committed by African Americans, according to the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. In New Orleans , black men comprise 88% of the jail population.