Bills Advance to Make Louisiana Re-Entry Ready

The Louisiana legislature is back at work, and one important item on the agenda is to continue the work you and Smart on Crime Louisiana have been leading to make Louisiana safer, reduce crime, end cycles of recidivism, and, in the process, save scarce taxpayer dollars.

Even in a condensed session, lawmakers are pressing forward with a package of bills to make Louisiana Re-Entry Ready and transparent to taxpayers like you and me. Especially in a struggling economy, these measures are incredibly important.

A few exciting updates from the State Capitol:
HB77 by Representative Phillip DeVillier, which would clear barriers to employment and provide probation and parole officers with an additional tool to help reduce recidivism and improve public safety, passed the full House floor in a 97-0 vote.

SB354 by Senator Patrick McMath, which would provide returning citizens with an ID card listing skills and certifications they earned while incarcerated, passed the full Senate floor without objection.

HB481 by Representative Tanner Magee, which would provide transparency to the myriad of fines and fees collected across the state and allow taxpayers to know just how much our judicial system costs, also passed the House floor without objection this afternoon.

Over 95% of prisoners sentenced to serve time in a state prison will ultimately re-enter society, and how we handle the re-entry process for those leaving incarceration has major impacts on public safety. Having solid re-entry policies in place can assist individuals in becoming employed, law-abiding, and tax-paying citizens.