Office of Criminal Justice Coordination Reports

New Orleans began participation in the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) in 2015. The Safety and Justice Challenge provides support to local communities that are ready to tackle one of the greatest drivers of over-incarceration in America—the misuse and overuse of jails. This Network of cities, counties, and states is proving it is possible to rethink local justice systems from the ground up, with forward-looking, smart solutions that are data-driven, equity-focused, and community-informed, and that safely reduce jail populations, eliminate ineffective and unfair practices, and reduce racial disparities.

On February 18, 2025, Commissioner Tenisha Stevens was asked to speak on the state of safety and justice in New Orleans, specifically as it relates to African Americans in the New Orleans community.

This report was prepared by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to provide recommendations on the $4.45 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding for Juvenile Justice Programming and Services. The recommendations for programs were developed through identification of nationally evaluated programs and interventions, identified needs and service gaps on the ground, and recommendations and existing proposals from local stakeholders and providers (when aligned with both evidence on effectiveness and identified need). The NICJR has been engaged a technical assistance provider to support the implementation of the Juvenile Justice ARPA investment.

This report was prepared by Lisa Maye and Kathleen Kemp of Policy Research, Inc. Policy Research wishes to thank Office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell, City of New Orleans for hosting the workshop and to Adrienne S. Tobler, Interagency Coordination Specialist for offering opening remarks. Support for the workshop was provided to Orleans Parish, New Orleans by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation through the Safety and Justice Challenge.

After reaching a historic low in homicides in 2019, the City of New Orleans has experienced an increase in gun violence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This spike in violence is not unique to New Orleans, but rather a trend that is happening nation-wide. In 2021, New Orleans amassed 218 murders and is on track to out pace that number in 2022. As of June 13, 2022, there have been 137 homicides that have occurred in New Orleans

Provides justice professionals with the accurate and timely information they need to effectively fulfill their respective missions. Provides policymakers with data to effectively plan, prioritize, and evaluate the impact of resources invested in the criminal justice system. Provides the public at-large with information by which to evaluate the performance of the justice system and returns on taxpayer resources.

In partnership with the VERA Institute of Justice, the Office of Criminal Justice established the Ethnic and Racial Disparity (ERD) Working Group in October 2020. Amid a global pandemic, which hasfurthershed light on the pervasiveness ofstructuralracism, the Working Group set out to identify and addressthe drivers ofracial and ethnic disparitiesin the Orleans Parish criminal legalsystem

The City of New Orleans has released a comprehensive plan titled "A Roadmap to Transform the Justice System in New Orleans." This ambitious document outlines a series of reforms and initiatives aimed at creating a more fair, equitable, and effective criminal justice system in the city

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