Warden at New Orleans jail steps down, Sheriff Michelle Woodfork taps former state prison leaders

By Blake Paterson

Source: The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com

September 21, 2026

The Story

The top administrator at New Orleans’ jail stepped down on Friday, ending a two-year stint as Sheriff Michelle Woodfork continues to reshape the agency in the early months of her term.

BGR’s Role

At an event earlier this month hosted by the Bureau of Governmental Research, Woodfork announced that she had hired Jimmy LeBlanc, the former long-time head of the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections, as a consultant to “guide the warden on how we can do things better.” 

BGR, a good-government nonprofit, in a 2022 report recommended strengthening the appointment process for the jail’s top administrator and potentially giving the City Council a say in the selection. Woodfork praised the report’s recommendations at the event but didn’t comment on that specific proposal.

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