Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has an extremely busy day planned for Monday, October 28. Hutson and other criminal justice leaders will be making their annual budget presentations before the New Orleans City Council. Later that evening, she will address community leaders active with New Orleans United Front (NOUF).
Like several other agencies within New Orleans’ criminal justice system, Hutson’s department is under-funded and short staffed, even though their workload has increased. For several months now, the number of inmates housed at the Orleans Justice Center (OJC) has exceeded the capacity established by the New Orleans City Council. Part of that excess could be due to the number of violent juvenile offenders Hutson now houses. Yet, much of it can be attributed to the work of Troop NOLA in arresting more individuals charged with felonies.
Hutson has also had a difficult time hiring enough individuals to staff all the available positions at the OJC. OPSO deputies currently work 12-hour shifts and their starting salary is less than in surrounding parishes including Jefferson. Though Hutson has made some progress, her department is still under a federal consent decree which will continue through 2025 at least.
“Sheriff Hutson got off to a rocky start, but we want to hear about her accomplishments as well as the work that still needs to be done,” said a NOUF spokesperson. “We know the Sheriff has a situation with overcrowding – which is not her fault – and she needs a bigger budget. You can’t recruit good people if you can’t pay them a decent salary.”
The group also wants a briefing on the special programs Hutson has put in place to help inmates, the weekly session currently offered for victims of crime, and the consent decree.
“An election year is coming up. There will be several candidates for sheriff from which to choose. We’re beginning to gather information now to assist our members in making informed decisions,” the spokesperson concluded.
The NOUF meeting will be held Monday, October 28 at Café Istanbul, 2372 St. Claude Avenue from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.
