Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. Statement on the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violating the Constitution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) released the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) routinely keeps people in its custody past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released.

“I am deeply angered by today’s news that the Department of Justice has determined the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections violated the Fourteenth Amendment. It is long past time that we reform this broken institution, and it is infuriating that the LDOC has known about this corruption for over a decade.

“Our correctional system should be focused on reform and rehabilitation. It is a basic responsibility of the State to guarantee that all incarcerated individuals are released in a timely manner. The civil rights of ALL people held in Louisiana’s jails is of the upmost importance and I will work to ensure that the LDOC enacts reforms to prevent future overdetentions.

“My heart breaks for everyone who has suffered at the hands of this unjust system. As a Black man and the father of two Black sons, I am acutely aware of the toll that systemic racial injustice has on our neighborhoods. I am committed to ending mass incarceration by investing in our communities, ending for-profit prisons, and supporting education and re-entry resources.”

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