Racial Justice Initiatives

About the ERD Working Group

In October of 2020, the Ethnic and Racial Disparity Working Group was formed in partnership with the VERA Institute of Justice. The Working Group is supported by technical assistance provided by the VERA Institute of Justice, the MacArthur Foundation, and the 2020-2021 OCJC AmeriCorps VISTA. There are 34 members of the Group, half representing government agencies and half being non-agency/community members. The ERD Working Group is tasked with setting specific, measurable, and achievable goals to reduce criminal legal system involvement for adult and juveniles of historically and presently underserved populations, specifically Black, Indigenous, People of Color. To meet these goals the Group applies an intersectional approach to best understand, analyze, and address structural and systemic discrimination for historically and presently marginalized and vulnerable populations, including womxn and LGBTQIA+, within the Orleans Parish criminal legal system.For ten months, the Ethnic and Racial Disparity (ERD) Working Group met to create specific, measurable, and achievable policies, practices, and initiatives to increase racial equity within the Orleans Parish criminal legal system. The ERD Recommendation Report, released in July of 2021 and adopted by the CJC on the 28th, is the product of that effort. 

Promoting Racial Equity in the Criminal Justice System

ERD Working Group Recommendation Report

The report provides an opportunity for reflection and opportunity to look ahead as it provides recommendations that center racial equity in existing reforms, including Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Prosecutorial Diversion, as well as recommendations that move beyond reform work to invest in organizations and efforts that prevent criminal legal system involvement for overrepresented and underserved populations, specifically Black, Indigenous, People of Color.