ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 174
BY REPRESENTATIVES FREEMAN, WILFORD CARTER, FISHER, GOUDEAU,
GREEN, JEFFERSON, JENKINS, KNOX, LAFLEUR, LANDRY, LARVADAIN,
MARCELLE, NEWELL, SELDERS, AND THOMPSON
A RESOLUTION
To create a task force to study both the academic and vocational educational programs
within prisons and jails in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, on June 30, 2022, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections held
approximately twenty-five thousand six hundred seventy-seven individuals in its custody,
in addition to one thousand three hundred ninety-five women; and
WHEREAS, approximately fourteen thousand one hundred fifty-seven individuals
are housed in parish jails; and
WHEREAS, six percent of incarcerated individuals are in transitional work
programs; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, there were twelve thousand, one hundred ninety-one new
admissions to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, of which thirteen percent
were under twenty-five years of age, twelve percent were over fifty years of age, ten percent
were women, and twenty-one percent were for violent crimes; and
WHEREAS, of these new admissions, sixty-five percent were parole eligible and
ninety-one percent were eligible for good time parole supervision; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, fifty-two parishes sentenced at least fifty individuals to prison,
thirty-three parishes sentenced at least one hundred individuals to prison, and sixteen
parishes sentenced at least two hundred individuals to prison; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, the nine leading parishes relative to sentencing are Caddo
Parish with one thousand one hundred six, Jefferson Parish with nine hundred thirty-six, St.
Tammany with six hundred sixty-nine, Calcasieu with sixty hundred twenty, East Baton
Rouge with five hundred ninety-nine, Bossier and Ouachita with five hundred twelve,
Livingston with four hundred eighty-six, and Orleans with four hundred sixty-one; and
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WHEREAS, in 2021, there were twelve thousand five hundred seventy-two
individuals released from state custody; and
WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of those individuals return to where they
consider to be home or where they have opportunity and support; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, forty-nine parishes received over fifty individuals from
custody, thirty-three parishes received at least one hundred individuals, sixteen parishes
received over two hundred individuals; and
WHEREAS, of those sixteen parishes, Orleans received nine hundred eighty-three
individuals, Caddo received nine hundred eighty-one individuals, Jefferson received nine
hundred forty-seven individuals, East Baton Rouge received seven hundred forty-nine
individuals, St. Tammany received six hundred sixty-six individuals, and Ouachita received
five hundred twelve individuals; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana recidivism rates, including revocations of supervision, vary
based on from where an individual was released, with the highest rates of return to custody
being from parish jails at thirty-two percent, transitional work programs at twenty-eight
percent, and state prisons at twenty-five percent over three years; and
WHEREAS, this disparity in recidivism rates has remained consistent across years
of release, and the reduced rate for those who have obtained an education has reached
sixteen percent; and
WHEREAS, individuals listed under "education" by the department as having
attained a credential account for less than ten percent of those released between 2007 and
2020; and
WHEREAS, the recidivism rate of these individuals has steadily improved over time
between 2007 and 2012, averaging an eleven percent return to prison in the first year and a
reduction to five percent between the years of 2019 and 2020; and
WHEREAS, the MacKinac Center for Public Policy performed a comprehensive
analysis of correctional education between the years of 1980 and 2022 and documented the
impacts of various levels of education, including adult basic education reducing recidivism
by six point three percent over three years, and increasing employment by one point four
percent; and
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WHEREAS, a completed secondary education, including a GED, reduces recidivism
by seven point one percent and increases employment by one point two percent over three
years; and
WHEREAS, vocational education reduces recidivism by nine point three percent and
increases employment by five point five percent over three years; and
WHEREAS, a college education reduces recidivism by twenty-seven point seven
percent and increases employment by ten point five percent over three years; and
WHEREAS, the RAND Corporation published a study in 2013 that showed every
one dollar spent on correctional education saved the public four to five dollars in police,
court, and correctional costs, in addition to saving the hardships inflicted through crime; and
WHEREAS, educated individuals in jails and prisons create a ripple effect of role
models and mentors, which reduces disciplinary infractions and provides a more capable
incarcerated workforce; and
WHEREAS, on average, half of incarcerated individuals have two school-aged
children, who have a higher risk of incarceration due to poverty, trauma, and family
disruption; and
WHEREAS, parents and children who have studied together, despite physical
distance, have reported feelings of mutual inspiration from one another; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education has reinstated the Pell Grant
program for incarcerated students, increasing the viability of post-secondary education; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections created an advisory
committee to implement a Pell Grant program; and
WHEREAS, incarcerated individuals participate in a wide range of programming that
varies between institutions, including support from outside volunteers, temporary
arrangements, and distance learning courses; and
WHEREAS, the 2022-2023 budget for the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections allocates one percent of the budget, five point eighty-six million dollars, for
rehabilitation, including forty-three staff education positions out of four thousand four
hundred eighty-seven employees, which is an average of five individuals per institution; and
WHEREAS, it is unclear how many educational staff exist across the many local jails
in Louisiana; and
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WHEREAS, the Justice Reinvestment Initiative provided a reallocation of funds into
rehabilitative programming; and
WHEREAS, those funds have been reduced and been the subject of dispute; and
WHEREAS, five percent of the incarcerated population are women, who are spread
throughout multiple facilities in much less concentration than men with a different range of
programming opportunities; and
WHEREAS, good time credits are granted upon completion of certain educational
programming, so that prison time can be converted into parole time; and
WHEREAS, the Voice of the Experienced and Daughters Beyond Incarceration are
two organizations with deep connections with Louisiana's incarcerated individuals that are
committed to their rehabilitation and restoration of families; and
WHEREAS, Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans both offer
bachelor degree programs in Louisiana prisons and Northshore Technical College provides
associate degree programs in Louisiana prisons.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request a commission be convened to study
the landscape and efficacy of correctional educational programming in Louisiana jails and
prisons.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) One representative from the Department of Public Safety and Corrections with
experience in educational programming, designated by the secretary of Department of Public
Safety and Corrections.
(2) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, or his designee.
(3) Two formerly incarcerated individuals who pursued or completed a
post-secondary education while incarcerated, designated by the speaker of the House of
Representatives after consulting with the stakeholders.
(4) Two formerly incarcerated individuals who earned a GED while incarcerated,
designated by the speaker of the House of Representatives after consulting with the
stakeholders.
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(5) Two individuals with experience providing education in corrections within the
past five years, designated by the speaker of the House of Representatives after consulting
with the stakeholders.
(6) One member of the Louisiana Board of Regents, designated by the chairman of
the Board of Regents.
(7) One member of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, designated by the
secretary of the Workforce Commission.
(8) One representative from the governor's office, designated by the governor.
(9) One representative from Daughters Beyond Incarceration, designated by the
executive director of the organization.
(10) One representative of Voice of the Experienced, designated by the executive
director.
(11) One representative from Tulane University, designated by the president of
Tulane University.
(12) One representative from Loyola University New Orleans, designated by the
president of Loyola University New Orleans.
(13) One representative from the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges,
designated by the system president.
(14) One representative from Northshore Technical Community College, designated
by the chancellor.
(15) One representative from Louisiana State University, designated by the president
of Louisiana State University.
(16) One representative from Southern University System, designated by the
president of Southern University.
(17) One representative from the Vera Institute of Justice, designated by the
president of the organization.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall provide a comprehensive
report to the Louisiana Legislature with all of the following information:
(1) Programmatic listings per facility, inclusive of brief descriptions of the number
of individuals served, demographic data, length of program, number of individuals on a wait
list, and good time earned per program completion.
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(2) For GED and post-secondary programs that are graded or scored, the average
scores and grade point averages of participants, including the transferability of certificates
and credits to institutions beyond incarceration.
(3) The number and type of vocational and academic credentials, broken down by
demographics and institution.
(4) Experience, credentials, and turnover rate of program instructors.
(5) Assessment of academic and career advice in Louisiana's jails and prisons,
provided through outside programs, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or the
sheriffs.
(6) Overview of restrictions on program participation due to the type of conviction,
length of sentence, place of confinement, gender disparity, or disciplinary infractions.
(7) Overview of program attrition by the type of program, reason for
non-completion, demographic information, gender, and place of confinement.
(8) Post-release educational enrollment.
(9) Post-release vocational certification.
(10) Post-release employment.
(11) Any other indicators of success as determined by the commission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Tulane University shall provide staff support to
the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the representative from Tulane University shall
chair the task force and shall call the first meeting no later than November 1, 2023.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each
of the task force members and the appointing entities provided in this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that one print copy and one electronic copy of any
report produced pursuant to this Resolution shall be submitted to the David R. Poynter
Legislative Research Library as required by R.S. 24:772 no later than March 1, 2024.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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