An advocacy group is suing the Louisiana Department of Corrections over keeping people behind bars past their scheduled release dates. Promise of Justice Initiative Attorney Cecelia Kappel says prisoners being held past their scheduled release dates is happening far too frequently in Louisiana, and it’s been happening for many years.
“The Department of Justice found one in four detainees in Department of Corrections custody are being held illegally,” Kappel noted.
Kappel says the excess time prisoners are spending behind bars varies.
“It can be days, weeks or even months past their release date. Our lead main plaintiff, Lisa Andres, was held for 101 days past the date that she was supposed to be released,” Kappel explained.
Another plaintiff, Jaren Brignac, was detained for a non-violent offense and was held for more than a week past his release date in Orleans Parish Prison.
Andres’ and Brignac’s experiences are part of a broader pattern of mass incarceration and overdetention across Louisiana.
“We acknowledge that sometimes time calculation can be complex. But what isn’t complicated is the principle that when you have served your lawful sentence, you should go home,” Kappel said.
Kappel says most of these people being held beyond their release dates are low-level criminals who had short sentences, and their prolonged incarceration has cost them their jobs in some instances.
The Louisiana DOC says it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
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