VOTE RESEARCH & REPORTS
Latest release
THE COST OF INCARCERATION
2024 LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS BUDGET EXPLAINER
March 20, 2024 — "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants." - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
Budget documents are one of the best ways to cut through the chatter and get down to the numbers. What are we trying to do, and how much are we spending on it?
Amidst the 2024 Special “Crime Session,” a stark reality emerged: Louisiana’s regression into reactionary, antiquated punitive measures that fail to address crime prevention effectively. The prevailing belief of our governor and legislature appears fixated on incarceration as the sole solution, disregarding rehabilitation, redemption, and societal reintegration. This inclination towards punitive approaches, fueled by an open checkbook mentality, challenges the very essence of the Department of Corrections. If it becomes a bastion of despair and harsh retribution, its effectiveness diminishes, likely worsening crime.
This report is offers transparency into key aspects of the 2024 funding of the DOC, provides a framing of the incarceration industry as a Louisiana employer, and delves into the peculiar usage of local jails to handle a state obligation.
RESEARCH & REPORTS ARCHIVE
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2023 Impact Report
December 2023 — What started as a hope of a few men on the inside has turned into a staff of nearly 30 across three cities in the state with numerous victories under our belt.
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Where people in prison come from
July 2023 — The geography of mass incarceration in Louisiana. A collaboration by Voice of the Experienced, the Redistricting Data Hub (Spencer Nelson and Peter Horton), and the Prison Policy Initiative
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No Surrender, No Retreat
May 2023 — Examines voter participation among voters with convictions after passage of Act 636 (2018) and Act 127 (2021). Hard-fought and won by VOTE and its allies, these two laws are the only advancements in rights restoration in Louisiana in nearly 50 years.
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2022 Impact Report
December 2022 – VOTE’s first ever Impact Report, detailing our victories and milestones throughout 2022
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Adequacy of Healthcare Provided in Louisiana State Prisons
May 2021 - A report showing the challenges and obstacles for incarcerated people in receiving constitutionally adequate healthcare.
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Collateral Consequences of Pleading Guilty in Louisiana
February 2020 - A report for the LA Legislature demonstrating the need for full disclosure of all consequences of guilty pleas. This report was instrumental in the passage of Act 271 (2021).
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Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
May 2020 - VOTE contributed data and first-person accounts of the failed COVID response in LA prisons.
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Communities, Evictions & Criminal Convictions
April 2013 - Authored by Bruce Reilly for FICPFM/VOTE as a model policy for public housing and criminal conviction policies.
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Public Housing Authority Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy
April 2013 - Authored by Bruce Reilly for FICPFM/VOTE, a model policy regarding family members with criminal histories. This is a companion policy to the “Communities, Evictions & Criminal Convictions” report.