Gov. Edwards visits Lake Charles to talk prison reform
LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Governor John Bel Edwards spoke to reporters Wednesday in Lake Charles just days ahead of the release of 1,400 inmates.
The Louisiana legislature passed 10 bills to reduce the prison population by 10 percent and save roughly $262 million over the next decade. The inmates released will be non-violent, non-sex offenders.
Gov. Edwards assures citizens he's not just opening the prison doors and letting inmates walk out.
"That is not what the law does," he said. "They (the prisoners) had to already have a release date. They're getting the benefit of a change in law so rather than having to do 40 percent of their sentence, the good time will allow them to get out having only done 35 percent. The differential on average is less than two months."
The plan is for 70 percent of savings from early release to be reinvested in programs to reduce recidivism and support crime victims - if legislators don't get their hands on it first.
"We passed the bill last year and before a single dollar was saved there was an amendment offered on the house floor to the appropriations bill to take the money and apply it to the deficit so that we wouldn't invest anything," said Edward.
The Governor says Louisiana is moving in a new and much better direction when it comes to incarceration. He's says he's not done with justice reform just yet because pre-trial detainees aren't getting a fair shake.
"We have individuals who are being arrested and they are sitting in a parish jail for a very long time waiting for trial."
The governor's plan passed with the support of both Democrats and Republicans at the state capitol.
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