Criminal Justice

A Louisiana law cedes much of the power of the parole board to an algorithm that bars thousands of prisoners from a shot at early release. Civil rights attorneys say it could disproportionately harm Black people — and may even be unconstitutional.

Here's what we know about each amendment and how various organizations and advocacy groups feel about them.

Louisiana senators are pressing state officials for information about the leadership of a controversial juvenile justice facility the state is using as its youth girls prison again.

Around 70 mental health professionals and educators in Louisiana have signed a letter urging state lawmakers to vote against a proposed constitutional amendment that could send more young teenagers to adult prisons.

Louisiana officials expect to put tens of millions of dollars over the next two months into expanding juvenile detention centers that house children and teenagers accused of crimes.

“Having a felony arrest or conviction on your record is like wearing a heavy yoke around your neck," said Aaron Clark-Rizzio, the legal director for the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights.

A group of Jewish advocates met on the steps of the state Capitol on Holocaust Remembrance Day to urge lawmakers to pass a bill that would remove gassing from the list of execution methods allowed under state law.

A bill to create the crime of “coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud” passed from a Senate committee on Tuesday.

The legislature completed a two-week special session Thursday that will likely reshape the landscape of criminal punishment in Louisiana for years to come.