When a New Orleans residents commit a crime they may expect to face some serious consequences for their actions. Imprisonment is one such consequence and can rob people of their physical freedoms. While in some cases lesser penalties are available, many people who are convicted of crimes in the state find themselves behind bars.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, a national organization, recently released a report on incarceration rates across the United States. While in many states incarceration rates have dropped, Louisiana holds the title of the highest incarceration rate in the country. The report found that 847 out of every 100,000 people in Louisiana are in prison.
Mississippi and Oklahoma hold the next two highest incarceration rates in the nation but both of those states have lowered their rates of imprisonment over time. While statistics change from year to year, this particular study sheds some interesting light on how Louisiana punishes individuals convicted of committing crimes within its borders.
Criminal charges precede criminal convictions and some people facing alleged crimes are able to have their matters dismissed from court. While no outcome can ever be guaranteed in a criminal case, preparing an aggressive criminal defense can sometimes help people increase their chances of avoiding prison. The proper criminal defense strategy can help people protect their constitutional rights and prove their innocence.
With the state actively incarcerating people at the highest rate in the nation, Louisianans currently subject to criminal allegations can work to protect their freedoms by preparing themselves for their trials.
Source: The Times-Picayune, “Most states cut their imprisonment rates, but not Louisiana, according to study,” Julia O’Donoghue, Nov. 12, 2014