Justice Reform started five years ago bearing fruit

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

Gov. John Bel Edwards served on a panel Nov. 2 with Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans representatives, including president-CEO Marianite Sister Marjorie Hebert, the United Way, formerly incarcerated individuals and others to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Justice Re-Investment (JRI) Reform Package passed by the state Legislature in 2017.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond opened the discussion with a prayer of thanksgiving for the collaborative spirit modeled by all the agencies.

“Lord, give us courage and a steadfast spirit to carry on the important work of making our criminal justice system more rehabilitative and restorative for victims, for offenders, for communities as a whole,” the archbishop said. “You know well our need for redemption every day.”

Five years of progress
The event, held in the Corpus Christi Community Center, highlighted the progress made in the past five years since the state reinvested with community agencies a portion of the $100 million saved by releasing nonviolent offenders from prison early.

The Department of Corrections issued grants to state and local community organizations that collaborate to reduce recidivism, prevent crime and help victims of crime.

“Community reinvestment is a very important part of our reform effort,” Edwards said, explaining the goal is to have the formerly incarcerated successfully transition into society.

Edwards said Louisiana’s incarceration rate was ripe for change when he took office.

“We were locking up people for nonviolent crimes at twice the rate of other southern states that had the same crime rate,” he said. “It wasn’t making us any safer. Since 90% of these people were going to get out of prison (anyway), we weren’t doing enough to make them successful. Every unsuccessful re-entry creates at least one new victim of crime. We had to do things differently and better. So, we worked with a lot of advocates to try to figure out a way forward.”

Building more prisons was not the answer to reducing Louisiana’s high incarceration rate, said retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernice Johnson, who had worked as a justice reinvestment committee member in Louisiana to pass the reform package. In developing the reform measures, her committee sought information from various states demonstrating best practices in criminal justice reform and from local agencies such as Catholic Charities that work to reduce recidivism.

Large role for church
The discussion was moderated by Stephanie Mills, community incentive grant director of Catholic Charities’ Cornerstone Builders and Re-Entry Services. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) is on its second round of JRI grants since 2017 to bolster its Cornerstone Builders Re-Entry program.

“We assess (the incarcerated) and determine what their needs and goals are and work to help them achieve that,” Mills said.

Cornerstone Builders’ Re-Entry Services works to secure benefits, housing and other supportive services.

“Whatever they need, we connect them to these resources to make sure they are successful,” Mills added.

CCANO partners with Loyola Law School, Second Chance Living PMI, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services and United Way to offer supportive services such as housing, transportation, jobs, training, food, health care, case workers, legal assistance and more.

Over the past three years, 135 clients have enrolled in the re-entry program.

“Cornerstone has a 97% success rate,” Mills said. “That means 97% of our clients have not re-offended since they have been admitted to our programs in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany.”


Former prison inmates reinforced Mills’ claim of the importance of case managers by sharing how their lives turned around once they got involved in re-entry programs and had managers who walked with them to be successful.

Re-entry programs changed the life of Walter, who served 25 years in jail, to such a degree that only four months out of prison, he has a job, transportation and has been accepted into college.

“This has been my first opportunity to be successful because of the programs through the United Way and Catholic Charities,” Walter said. “They gave me a place to stay and an opportunity to be successful. I never had that.

“They helped with anything I needed. …. The programs they have are designed to work. They are with you every step of the way. I put my pride aside and let them help me. The only thing I think we can change on this is awareness. I’ve been in multiple prisons, and I’m telling you many don’t know this exists. I am going to try to help put out the word. I am going to let people know they have options, you have doors. The streets aren’t the only option you have.”

Jorge Rodriguez, a native of Cuba, served 41 years in the Louisiana State penitentiary at Angola and got emotional about his life today.

“Catholic Charities took care of me,” he said. “I don’t have family in the United States. They are my family. Any need I have, they fulfill.”

Another Catholic Charities’ client, Mark from St. Tammany, said he benefited from the changes produced by the re-entry program.

“I’m home today when I never expected to be,” Mark said. He was a Catholic ministry leader at Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson for 10 years. He became Catholic in prison.

“I had no idea of what Catholic Charities really did until I was released,” Mark said. “I contacted Catholic Charities, and things went into effect immediately. Not only did I get food stamps, I left with food that day. Not only did I get clothing immediately, they helped address my needs – going to the doctor, applying for things. They made this possible. … I now have a car, job opportunities, pay my rent and desire to make others in prison aware of how Catholic Charities can help them.”

Gov. Edwards thanked the formerly incarcerated for sharing their success stories and encouraged them to keep moving forward “because the quickest way for (political) support for these reforms and reinvestments to fade is if we are not showing success. We want you to be successful for your own sake, but we also want you to be successful for everybody else who can take advantage of this if we continue to fund it.”

The newest reform initiative enacted the day before the panel discussion: opening a Department of Motor Vehicles office at prison.

“We never do this work alone,” said Michael Williamson, president and CEO of United Way of Southeast Louisiana. “It takes all of us working together. There is no question that the 2017 criminal justice reform package is working. It has saved lives, reduced recidivism and improved public safety, and we will continue to strengthen our community.”

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