Task force offers recommendations to address overcrowding at Caddo Correctional Center
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - After evaluating criminal justice data for a year, the Criminal Justice Task Force, which is made of multiple agencies, has released a report with 16 specific recommendations to address overcrowding at the Caddo Correctional Center (CCC).
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The task force presented some of its recommendations at a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m.
WATCH THE FULL NEWS CONFERENCE HERE
The task force is made of people from the following agencies within the parish:
- Sheriff’s office
- District attorney’s office
- Public defender’s office
- First Judicial District Court
- Parish administration
- Shreveport Police Department
- Shreveport Chamber of Commerce
The task force was first formed when Sheriff Steve Prator called a meeting back in September of 2022 and called for local agencies and leaders to discuss a plan to address overcrowding.
CADDO PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FOCE DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS JAIL OVERCROWDING
PREVIOUS REPORTING: Panel discusses overcrowding at CCC
The Shreveport Chamber of Commerce says for more than 18 years now, CCC has operated above its designed capacity of 1,070 inmates. On average, the facility typically houses more than 1,435 people over a year. As of Nov. 12, 2023, the jail was housing 1,376 people, with close to 1,000 awaiting trial or waiting for adjudication.
The task force looked at data spanning a decade to identify factors leading to overcrowding. The task force has developed short and long-term solutions to the issue.
The chamber goes on to say while the population at CCC grew from 1012 to 2022, it was not driven by more admissions, but by an increase in the length of stay for those being held there. For example, those held for pretrial in 2022 spent nearly twice as long at CCC as those held for pretrial in 2012.
“Overpopulation at the Caddo Correctional Center is dangerous to both inmates and staff, and unsustainable from a cost perspective for the Parish,” said task force member and Caddo Parish administrator, Erica Bryant. “I am encouraged that the leaders of our public safety community were able to come together to create a plan to begin addressing these systemic issues.”
The Shreveport Chamber of Commerce hosted the news conference for the task force to present its findings.
FULL REPORT FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE
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