HLS 23RS-779 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 65
BY REPRESENTATIVE MARCELLE
PUBLIC HEALTH: Requests a study of the current system of reporting deaths in
correctional institutions
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To request the office of public health of the Louisiana Department of Health, the Louisiana
3 State Coroner's Association, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the Department
4 of Public Safety and Corrections, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the Louisiana
5 Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, Voice of
6 the Experienced, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, the Louisiana Stop
7 Solitary Coalition, the Justice Collaborative, LLC, and the Formerly Incarcerated
8 Transitions Clinic to conduct a study on the current system of reporting deaths of
9 individuals committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and
10 Corrections and to the custody of a parish jail and the feasibility of periodic analysis
11 of mortality in correctional facilities in Louisiana as a means of reducing carceral
12 mortality, and to provide recommendations through a report of its findings to the
13 Legislature of Louisiana no later than February 1, 2024.
14 WHEREAS, as a condition of receiving federal grant assistance for law enforcement,
15the state is required to quarterly report deaths in parish prisons, state prisons, and private
16correctional institutions; and
17 WHEREAS, incarcerated persons are more likely to have chronic health conditions,
18such as diabetes, high blood pressure, the human immunodeficiency virus, mental health
19conditions, as well as substance abuse problems; and
20 WHEREAS, national data indicates that deaths in state and federal prisons increased
21by more than fifty percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
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HCR NO. 65
1 WHEREAS, data also indicates that the increase in deaths in prisons exceeded the
2increase in deaths in other congregant living facilities, such as nursing homes; and
3 WHEREAS, every year incarcerated persons die due to other causes, which include
4accidents, suicide, and violence; and
5 WHEREAS, the use of solitary confinement is correlated with increased rates of
6suicide; and
7 WHEREAS, additional data is needed to understand the impacts associated with
8solitary confinement in Louisiana prisons and jails; and
9 WHEREAS, other states, such as Kansas and Texas, have developed systems that
10may provide valuable insight to consider for the reporting of mortality in correctional
11facilities in the state; and
12 WHEREAS, mortality statistics are an important health tool for understanding and
13addressing community health.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
15request the office of public health of the Louisiana Department of Health, the Louisiana
16State Coroner's Association, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the Department of Public
17Safety and Corrections, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the Louisiana Commission on
18Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, Voice of the Experienced, Loyola
19University New Orleans College of Law, the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition, the Justice
20Collaborative, LLC, and the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions Clinic to conduct a study on
21the current system of reporting deaths of individuals committed to the custody of the
22Department of Public Safety and Corrections and to the custody of a parish jail and the
23feasibility of periodic analysis of mortality in correctional facilities in Louisiana as a means
24of reducing carceral mortality.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of public health of the Louisiana
26Department of Health, the Louisiana State Coroner's Association, the Louisiana Public
27Health Institute, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the Louisiana Sheriffs'
28Association, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of
29Criminal Justice, Voice of the Experienced, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law,
30the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition, the Justice Collaborative, LLC, and the Formerly
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HCR NO. 65
1Incarcerated Transitions Clinic report their findings and any policy recommendations to the
2Louisiana Legislature no later than February 1, 2024.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
4assistant secretary of the office of public health of the Louisiana Department of Health, the
5president of the Louisiana State Coroner's Association, the director of the Louisiana Public
6Health Institute, the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the
7president of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the executive director of the Louisiana
8Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, the executive
9director of Voice of the Experienced, the dean of Loyola University New Orleans College
10of Law, the director of the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition, the director of the Justice
11Collaborative, LLC, and the director of the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions Clinic.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that one print copy and one electronic copy of any
13report produced pursuant to this Resolution to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research
14Library as required by R.S. 24:772.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 65 Original 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
Requests the office of public health of the La. Dept. of Health, the La. State Coroner's
Association, the La. Public Health Institute, the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, the
La. Sheriffs' Association, the La. Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of
Criminal Justice, Voice of the Experienced, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law,
the La. Stop Solitary Coalition, the Justice Collaborative, LLC, and the Formerly
Incarcerated Transitions Clinic to conduct a study on the current system of reporting deaths
of individuals committed to the custody of the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections and
to the custody of a parish jail and the feasibility of periodic analysis of mortality in
correctional facilities in La. as a means of reducing carceral mortality.
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