HLS 23RS-3053 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 168
BY REPRESENTATIVE SEABAUGH
CRIME: Creates a task force to study the effects of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and
the rise of violent crime in Louisiana
1 A RESOLUTION
2To create the Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force to study and evaluate recent legislative
3 reforms to the Louisiana criminal justice system and the effects of such reforms on
4 public safety and crime in Louisiana and to propose future legislation to address and
5 improve public safety and reduce crime in Louisiana.
6 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana, through legislative efforts, underwent significant
7criminal justice reform measures in 2016 and 2017; and
8 WHEREAS, in 2016, Louisiana enacted the "Raise the Age" legislation which
9resulted in seventeen-year-olds being transferred from the adult criminal justice system to
10the juvenile justice system; and
11 WHEREAS, in 2017, Louisiana enacted Act Nos. 260, 261, 262, 264, 277, 280, 281,
12and 282 which included the stated goals of reducing the Louisiana prison population and
13reducing the financial burdens placed upon convicted offenders; and
14 WHEREAS, the Louisiana prison population dropped substantially since the
15effective date of criminal justice reforms; and
16 WHEREAS, the Louisiana incarceration rate has been reduced substantially and the
17reduction has outpaced the national trends; and
18 WHEREAS, these recent reforms have resulted in tens of thousands of convicted
19felons being returned to the community without access to significant recidivism reduction
20programming; and
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1 WHEREAS, these recent reforms also included significant obstacles to revoking the
2probation of felony offenders, which has resulted in significant reductions in the number of
3offenders whose probation has actually been revoked; and
4 WHEREAS, on November 1, 2017, the state of Louisiana released one thousand nine
5hundred forty-eight offenders early as the direct result of these criminal justice reforms; and
6 WHEREAS, there has been little appreciable reduction in recidivism in spite of the
7revocation obstacles, the removal of the seventeen-year-old population from the criminal
8justice system, and the substantial amounts dedicated to reducing recidivism; and
9 WHEREAS, juvenile crime and particularly violent juvenile crime have negatively
10impacted public safety and endangered our communities at an alarming rate; and
11 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has experienced a rapid and significant rise in
12violent crime and homicides since these criminal justice reforms.
13 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
14Legislature of Louisiana does hereby create the Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force to study
15and evaluate recent legislative reforms to the Louisiana criminal justice system and the
16effects of such reforms on public safety and crime in Louisiana and to propose future
17legislation to address and improve public safety and reduce crime in Louisiana.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force shall
19be composed of the following members:
20 (1) The attorney general of Louisiana, or his designee, who shall serve as chairman.
21 (2) An elected member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker
22from a list of names submitted by the attorney general of Louisiana.
23 (3) An elected member of the Senate, appointed by the president from a list of names
24submitted by the attorney general of Louisiana.
25 (4) The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, or his
26designee.
27 (5) An elected member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker
28from a list of names submitted by the Louisiana District Attorneys Association.
29 (6) An elected member of the Senate, appointed by the president from a list of names
30submitted by the Louisiana District Attorneys Association.
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HR NO. 168
1 (7) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, or his designee.
2 (8) An elected member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker
3from a list of names submitted by the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association.
4 (9) An elected member of the Senate, appointed by the president from a list of names
5submitted by the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association.
6 (9) The state public defender, or his designee.
7 (10) An elected member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker
8from a list of names submitted by the state public defender.
9 (11) An elected member of the Senate, appointed by the president from a list of
10names submitted by the state public defender.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the membership of the task force
12shall constitute a quorum. The task force shall meet at the call of the chair or upon an
13affirmative vote of a majority of the members. All members shall be notified in writing of
14all meetings at least five days before the date on which a meeting of the task force is
15scheduled.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force shall include, but not
17be limited to, all of the following:
18 (1) Gather and evaluate data and information from relevant stakeholders regarding
19the various aspects of the criminal justice system in Louisiana before and after the criminal
20justice reforms, including arrests, charges, prosecutions, sentences, probation and parole
21activity, incarceration, and recidivism.
22 (2) Evaluate and develop a plan of action to address areas of concern identified
23through the gathering and evaluation of criminal justice data and information.
24 (3) Recommend any legislation necessary for the 2024 Regular Session of the
25Legislature to accomplish all identified goals of true criminal justice reform that reduces
26crime and recidivism in Louisiana while improving public safety and strengthening our
27communities.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may request and collect relevant
29and necessary data and information to accomplish its purposes from any and all state and
30local government agencies, including courts.
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HR NO. 168
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the entities from which such information and
2data is requested may, to the extent feasible, provide such information and data to the task
3force at no cost.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of the attorney general shall provide
5staff support to the task force.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall prepare and submit a report
7of its findings and policy recommendations to the speaker of the House of Representatives
8and the president of the Senate no later than December 31, 2023, and any further reports or
9recommendations thereafter as requested by the legislature or as advised by the task force.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each
11of the task force members and the appointing entities provided in this Resolution.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that one print copy and one electronic copy of any
13report produced pursuant to this Resolution shall be submitted to the David R. Poynter
14Legislative Research Library 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)]
HR 168 Original 2023 Regular Session Seabaugh
Creates the La. Violent Crime Task Force to study and evaluate recent legislative reforms
to the La. criminal justice system and to report its findings to the legislature no later than
Dec. 31, 2023.
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