BGR Supports Review of Phase III Design and Cost Concerns

• Bureau of Governmental Research
							
						

OVERVIEW

This BGR NOW report discusses concerns that the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office and New Orleans City Council have raised about the planned Phase III facility to provide mental health care and medical services at the Orleans Parish jail. Their issues include design elements that may not be suitable for incarcerated persons with mental illnesses and sharp increases in the project’s cost, which has more than doubled to $109 million. The release finds that these concerns deserve further review to ensure the wellbeing of incarcerated persons and the effective use of public funds. It suggests that the federal court overseeing jail reforms consider creating a process to vet the concerns and identify solutions as needed.

Watch BGR’s statement to the New Orleans City Council Criminal Justice Committee hearing on July 12, 2023:

Click here to read BGR’s 2022 report analyzing ways to improve local governance of the jail.

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