Louisiana's Prison Problem: A Deep Dive Into The Numbers

As of 2019, there were 9 state prisons in Louisiana, in addition to 19 jails and 2 federal prisons. The state's correctional authorities had jurisdiction over 31,609 prisoners, with a staff of 4,779 employees and a budget of $734,795,732. The number of jails in Louisiana's 64 parishes is 111, with a jail population of 32,730 in 2020. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections manages the state prison system, including the operation of custody, incarceration, probation, and parole of inmates.

Louisiana has 111 jails in 64 parishes

Louisiana has 111 jails across its 64 parishes, with a jail population of 32,730 as of 2020. The state's correctional authorities have jurisdiction over prisoners held in nine state prisons, private prisons, and local jails.

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections manages the state's prison system, which is considered the final phase of the criminal justice process. The department oversees the operation of custody, incarceration, probation, and parole of inmates in the state. The state department of corrections is responsible for all affairs related to the state's correctional centres, including the classification of convicts into different security levels.

Jails, on the other hand, are operated by local law enforcement agencies in the county or city. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages federal prisons located in Louisiana.

The terms 'jail' and 'prison' are often used interchangeably, but there are some key differences. Prisons are managed by the state department of corrections, while jails are maintained by local law enforcement officials. State prisons in Louisiana are designed to hold prisoners in detention for lengthy periods and are larger, offering more training centres, religious care, and mentoring services than jails. County jails, meanwhile, detain both male and female prisoners, while each state prison is gender-specific.

Additionally, jails are usually located within the city where prosecutions are handled, while most prisons are in remote places and are classified as minimum, medium, or full security. Louisiana is a state with the death penalty, and the department maintains a death row prison at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

There are 9 state prisons

As of December 31, 2019, there were nine state prisons in Louisiana, with a total of 31,609 prisoners under the jurisdiction of the state correctional authorities. The state-operated facilities had a staff of 4,779 employees and a budget of $734,795,732.

The nine state prisons in Louisiana are:

• Allen Correctional Center
• Avoyelles Correctional Center
• B. B. Rayburn Correctional Center
• David Wade Correctional Center
• Dixon Correctional Institute
• Elayn Hunt Correctional Center
• Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
• Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison
• Winn Correctional Center (private)

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections directly operates all but two of these facilities. The state prison system is considered the final phase of the criminal justice process and is managed by the Department of Public Safety & Corrections. The department oversees the operation of custody, incarceration, probation, and parole of inmates in the state.

In addition to the nine state prisons, Louisiana also has 19 jails and two federal prisons. The state department of corrections manages the affairs of the parole/probation offices and transitional work program facilities.

2 federal prisons

Louisiana has 111 jails in 64 parishes. As of 2019, the state had nine state prisons, and this number decreased to eight in 2020. The state also has two federal prisons, Oakdale and Alexandria, which are run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Oakdale Federal Prison

Oakdale Federal Prison is a high-security facility located in Oakdale, Louisiana. It houses male offenders and has a capacity of 1,156 inmates. The prison has a range of programmes and services aimed at rehabilitating inmates, including educational programmes, vocational training, and substance abuse treatment. The prison also has a variety of recreational activities, such as sports and hobby crafts, as well as religious services and counselling.

Alexandria Federal Prison Camp

Alexandria Federal Prison Camp is a minimum-security facility located in Alexandria, Louisiana. It houses male offenders and has a capacity of 200 inmates. The prison focuses on providing work and correctional programmes to prepare inmates for re-entry into society. Inmates are assigned to a unit based on their work qualifications and are expected to work full-time in areas such as maintenance, food service, and landscaping. The prison also offers educational programmes and counselling services.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is responsible for the administration of federal prisons in Louisiana and across the United States. It is committed to ensuring the safe and humane confinement of inmates, providing effective programmes to promote successful re-entry into the community, and maintaining professional staff. The Bureau works closely with various partners, including law enforcement agencies, to carry out its mission.

In addition to the two federal prisons, Louisiana has several state prisons, including the Allen Correctional Center, Avoyelles Correctional Center, David Wade Correctional Center, and Dixon Correctional Institute. The state also has a large number of parish jails, with 111 jails located across 64 parishes.

31,609 prisoners under the jurisdiction of the state

As of December 31, 2019, there were 31,609 prisoners under the jurisdiction of the State of Louisiana's correctional authorities. These prisoners were located in 9 state prisons and held in custody in private prisons or local jails. Louisiana's incarceration rate is 1,067 per 100,000 people, which means that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than any other democratic country.

The state's correctional system is comprised of 111 jails across 64 parishes, with a staff of 4,779 employees and a budget of $734,795,732. More than half of the prisoners in state custody are serving their time in local jails rather than state facilities. This amounts to more than 14,000 prisoners, or 53% of prisoners under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, as of 2022. This is the highest rate in the country, with Kentucky and Mississippi being the only states that come close, at 47.3% and 33% respectively.

Louisiana has long relied on parish sheriffs to supplement state prisons with local jail capacity to avoid overcrowding. Sheriffs are incentivized by the state, which pays them a per-diem rate, generating millions of dollars per year for some local agencies. This has resulted in smaller parishes building jails that far exceed their local detention needs and, in some cases, handing over operations to private prison companies.

The state's correctional system includes several adult state prisons, such as the Allen Correctional Center, Avoyelles Correctional Center, David Wade Correctional Center, and Dixon Correctional Institute, among others. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections directly operates all except two of these facilities.

The state has a death penalty

Louisiana has 111 jails in 64 parishes, with a jail population of 32,730 as of 2019. The state has nine state prisons, including two private prisons, and the rest are operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections.

Since 2000, 8 men have been exonerated and freed from Louisiana's death row. In 2017, a bill to end the death penalty was considered but ultimately not passed. Despite a decline in public support, the death penalty remains legal in Louisiana, and in 2024, Governor Jeff Landry signed a law allowing executions to be carried out via nitrogen gas and electrocution, in addition to lethal injection.

The male death row is at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, and the female death row is at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel.

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