Louisiana Has One of the US’s Biggest Drops in Prison Population
It's no secret that Louisiana loves it's jails. Statistically, you are more likely to go to jail in Louisiana than anywhere else in the world. It's true, the US leads the world in incarceration rates. In the US, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate. In 2012, Shreveport was at the top of this list - currently that distinction belongs Gretna. That makes the news that Louisiana is now near the top of the list of prison population decreases even more amazing.
According to a new report from the Marshall Project shows that Louisiana came in second place in the race to reduce the number of prisoners behind bars. Maryland came in first with a 9.6% decrease in prison populations, a grand total of 1,916 fewer prisoners in lock up. The Bayou State so a 5.4% decrease, a total of 1,943 fewer prisoners.
Experts chalk the cause of this trend up to criminal justice reforms and lower crime rates statewide.