Promises Made, Promises Kept: Justice Coming for Crime Victims

Baton Rouge, LA— Today, Governor Jeff Landry is announcing that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has finalized and implemented an updated protocol that allows for the sentences of those on Death Row to be carried out. 

This Protocol for Executions of Death Sentences includes procedures for the nitrogen hypoxia method recently approved, in a bipartisan fashion, by the Louisiana Legislature. This allows Louisiana to keep its promises made to the victims of these horrific crimes and to the communities whose citizens unanimously agreed to impose the most severe punishment on those criminals. 

“For too long, Louisiana has failed to uphold the promises made to victims of our State’s most violent crimes; but that failure of leadership by previous administrations is over,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “The time for broken promises has ended; we will carry out these sentences and justice will be dispensed.” 

“These capital punishment cases have been reviewed at every judicial level, have had decades of unsuccessful appeals, and the death sentences affirmed by the courts,” continued Governor Landry. “I expect our DA’s to finalize these cases and the courts to move swiftly to bring justice to the crime victims who have waited for too long.” 

“I anticipate the national press will embellish on the feelings and interests of the violent death row murderers, we will continue to advocate for the innocent victims and the loved ones left behind,” concluded Governor Landry. 

A brief summary of Louisiana’s updated protocol, which builds upon Alabama’s constitutionally approved method, may be found attached to this release. 

Governor Landry Holds Signing Ceremony for Bills Passed During His Special Session on Crime

Baton Rouge, LA- Today, Governor Jeff Landry signed 11 bills that were sent to his desk by the Legislature during the Special Session on crime. This special session has been Governor Landry’s top priority since day one. The bills signed today are listed below.

SB 9: Preserving Prosecutions for Rape

HB 3: Expanding Access to Drug Courts

HB 6: Justice for Victims 

HB 9: Probation and Parole Violations

HB 10: Truth in Sentencing 

HB 11: Offender Rehabilitation 

SB 1: Constitutional Carry

SB 2: Concealed Carry Permit Immunity 

SB 7: DUI Penalties

HB 4: Post Conviction Reform 

SB 5: Pardon and Parole Reform

“Today, we made good on our promise to deliver sweeping reforms to our criminal justice system. Reforms that put the interests of victims before the interests of criminals. Reforms that uplift and support our police officers. Reforms that deliver true justice to the victims of crime. Reforms that make our streets and communities safer for all. I am proud of the work we have accomplished, and I am thankful to the victims of crime, the legislature, and all those involved in this special session. This is just the beginning of our work for a safer Louisiana,” said Governor Jeff Landry.

LANDRY: Crime Special Session is a Success

Louisiana will put the safety of our citizens and the victims of crime first, before the criminals!

Last year I promised the people of this state, if elected Governor, I would do everything within my power to improve the safety of our communities through legislative and executive action.

I can proudly say we have kept that promise. 

Victims finally have a voice and will receive the justice our state promised them a long time ago; our law enforcement officers will be supported, and there will be truth and transparency in our criminal justice system. 

The good citizens of Louisiana who work hard and play by the rules will be able to pump their gas without fear. 

I appreciate the Legislators who worked hard to pass these bills, as well as the victims of crime who had the courage to share their stories. 

Governor Jeff Landry

Kennedy questions Bureau of Prisons on early release of criminals: “You don't have the slightest idea how many of them committed another crime and came back?”

“The director let 30,000 of these folks go and can't tell me today how many have come back. . . . It takes my breath away.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Colette Peters, the director of the Bureau of Prisons, about the recidivism rate associated with criminals released under the First Step Act.

Kennedy: “How many criminals have you released under the First Step Act?”

. . .

Peters: “We have about 30,000 individuals that have been released since the passage of the First Step Act.”

Kennedy: “All right, so you've released 30,000 criminals under the First Step Act, okay? . . . Before you released them, did you contact any of their victims to say, ‘We're about to let this guy out’?”

Peters: “Senator, it's my understanding that that notification happens through the U.S. Attorney's Office, but I will check into that and get back to you.”

Kennedy: “You don't know?”

Peters: “Senator, I don't.”

. . .

Kennedy: “Wow. Okay, of the 30,000 criminals you let free, how many of them have come back, have committed a crime again, hurt somebody else?”

Peters: “So, that number is one that we're still looking at as it relates to the recidivism rate for those that were released on the First Step Act.”

Kennedy: “You don't have any idea?”

Peters: “No, Senator.”

. . .

Kennedy: “So let me get this straight: The First Step Act was passed in 2018. This is 2024, am I right so far?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

Kennedy: “That's six years, and, in six years, you've let 30,000 criminals go, right?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

Kennedy: “And you don't have the slightest idea how many of them committed another crime and came back?

Peters: “I don't have that number in front of me, sir.”

Kennedy: “And you run the Bureau of Prisons?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

. . .

Kennedy: “You know, [we] were told that it would save money and it would be in the interest of public safety to release criminals from prison. I didn't vote for it, but the majority rules, and so Congress did it.

“And Ms. Peters, Director Peters at the Bureau of Prisons, and her colleagues released 30,000 criminals, all of whom are there for a reason, okay? They didn't just go to prison for a free toaster. They were there for a reason.

“And, so, her department let them go, and, after six years, we don't have the slightest idea. Not a single one of the 40,000 of her employees [knows] how many have committed a second crime and come back. So, how the hell are we supposed to figure out whether it worked?”

. . .

Kennedy: “The director let 30,000 of these folks go and can't tell me today how many have come back. . . . It takes my breath away.”

View full remarks here.

Rep. Mike Johnson Schools "Storyteller" in Criminal Justice Committee Meeting

When a “storyteller” accused the criminal justice committee of racially-motivated exploitation, @johnson_state wasn’t having it. #lalege pic.twitter.com/dw656fLOuO

— Fix New Orleans (@FixNOLA) February 23, 2024

Governor Landry Issues Call for Crime Special Session

Baton Rouge, LA- Today, Governor Jeff Landry called the Louisiana Legislature to convene for a special session focused on tackling the issue of crime that is plaguing our state and holding us back. Throughout this session, the legislature will create laws that strengthen our criminal justice system and repeal soft on crime policies that enable criminals and hurt our communities.  Executive Order is attached.

“This special session begins to fulfill the campaign promises we made to the people of Louisiana to make our State Safe Again. No one, regardless of their neighborhood or zip code, should feel unsafe. We all want safer communities,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “We will defend and uplift our law enforcement officials and deliver true justice to crime victims who have been overlooked for far too long. I am eager to enact real change that makes Louisiana a safer state for all.” 

LANDRY: A Matter of Life and Death

No matter how many times I repeat the statistics, the reality of Louisiana’s crime epidemic and broken criminal justice system are best known by those in the thick of it. We can highlight that three of Louisiana’s major cities are some of the most dangerous in the country, that New Orleans is ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world, and that our first responders and criminologists are underpaid, overworked, and in desperate need of support.

But for the past eight years, the Edwards Administration has chosen to put criminal rights over victim rights. By choosing to measure only the incarceration rate rather than its implications to the State’s crime rate, the Governor has created a disheartening trend he intends to push all the way to the fast-approaching end of his tenure. Whatever the intentions, this has resulted in a legacy of supposed savings and surplus at the very expense of Louisiana lives.

Thankfully, my office – in collaboration with District Attorneys – was able to convince the 19th Judicial District Court to dramatically decrease the Governor’s chances of granting clemency to our State’s most violent and heinous criminals. Instead of allowing the Edwards Administration to cut the line, bend the rules, and manipulate various timelines to expedite clemency hearings, the Court upheld Louisiana law. This ultimately means that the Governor may not cheat the system in his waning days in office – ensuring that crime victims can still hang onto hope of getting the justice our State promised them.

I have consistently sided with the victims of these horrible crimes, even organizing a hearing at the State Capitol so that loved ones of those tortured, raped, and murdered were able to tell their stories, express their views, and finally have their voices heard. While our detractors declared this a political stunt, we all know better; it was necessary for the Legislature and people of our State to hear inconvenient truths, no matter how painful they are to hear.

Capital punishment is reserved only for the most heinous crimes known to man, which are done knowingly and with a rational mind. In total, there are 41 capital offenses that are punishable by death, including mass murder, contract and torture killers, killers of children, and terrorists. More importantly, it is constitutional – which is why Solicitor General Liz Murrill and I have worked diligently to remove obstacles in the courts and effectively clear the path for a future Governor to move forward with promised executions.

Perhaps that is why this Governor has been so eager to dismiss the rule of law and infuriate a large number of district attorneys, judges, first responders, and victims. If we’ve learned anything over the past eight years, it’s that the Edwards Administration often sides with the most dangerous, the most violent, and the most destructive over the innocent, the injured, and the brutally slaughtered. They have prioritized hug-a-thug policies over what’s fair, righteous, and just. And in his final months in office, the Governor seems determined to insult the victims of horrible crimes even further, rather than leave quietly and allow others to clean up his mess.

But with our court victory for victims, I have hope that the tides are turning and that justice will finally be served. I am also proud to have joined numerous district attorneys throughout Louisiana in upholding the rule of law and ensuring that clemency reviews for death row offenders are conducted in an open, transparent and legal process.

What our State needs is leadership, the kind that we exhibited in this situation. By standing up for the most vulnerable and protecting the rule of law, we supported victims and justice — not carnage and chaos. As a result, the people of our State got one step closer to having a criminal justice system that fulfills its promises.  

Jeff Landry
Attorney General - Louisiana

Kennedy in The Advocate: Washington’s soft-on-crime policies hurt Louisiana’s small businesses

“If we let rampant crime suffocate these businesses, the economies and charisma of Louisiana neighborhoods will wither, too.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Advocate describing how the soft-on-crime policies and anti-cop rhetoric coming out of Washington have harmed Louisiana’s small businesses. He argues that liberal policymakers, including President Joe Biden, must do more to address rising crime by securing the border and respecting law enforcement.

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

“Starting a business is one of the riskiest decisions one can make. Entrepreneurs embrace that risk because they love what they do, the people they work with, and the customers they serve.

“But today, many Louisiana business owners face risks far beyond their comfort levels. Violent crime has made it untenable for many business owners to keep their doors open. The threat to their employees and customers is just too great.”

. . .

“Louisiana isn’t alone. Crime-related business closures have increased nationwide. This crime wave is ravaging local economies, and Washington’s anti-cop rhetoric and soft-on-crime policies are to blame.

“For years, the loon wing of the Democratic Party has worked to tear down the entire law enforcement community. Rather than working for commonsense reforms, these activists called cops ‘pigs’ and urged lawmakers to defund local police departments.

“Where these activists failed to defund most police departments, they succeeded in demoralizing all of them. Today, police officer shortages plague communities everywhere. The New Orleans Police Department is on pace to have the fewest officers in 75 years. Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and the Louisiana State Police are facing massive officer shortages, too.”

. . .

“Many in Washington also embraced soft-on-crime policies that shortened federal prison sentences. I opposed these criminal reforms, including the First Step Act, because I believed it would lead to more families and businesses becoming victims of preventable crimes. Unfortunately, my fears were correct. Eleven percent of convicts released under the First Step Act reoffended—so far.

“At the border, cartels exploit our broken catch-and-release policies to flood Louisiana communities with poisonous fentanyl. Yet when I tried to increase prison sentences for fentanyl dealers earlier this year, Senate Democrats blocked my bill, apparently because they hate the idea of keeping poison dealers in prison.

“This cocktail of bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid policies has fueled crime nationwide. Now, those who promoted these foolish ideas want Americans to think they’re imagining crime, rather than experiencing it.”

. . .

“If we let rampant crime suffocate these businesses, the economies and charisma of Louisiana neighborhoods will wither, too.

“Crime and the destruction that follows it are not inevitable. With fair policies, well-trained and supported police officers, and leaders dedicated to enforcing the law, we can reduce crime and make Louisiana a safe place to invest. I’ll continue to push lawmakers and officials to embrace policies that protect businesses, our people, and their livelihoods.”

Read the full op-ed here.

2023 Louisiana Survey Shows Crime Tops List of Public’s Concerns

Louisiana residents remain pessimistic about the direction of the state; confidence in state government remains low.

The first in a series of three reports from the 2023 Louisiana Survey, a project of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs.

Summary Key results of the 2023 Louisiana Survey, a project of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at Louisiana State University, include:

State of the State

• Most Louisiana residents (61%) believe the state is heading in the wrong direction. While this marks a slight decline of five percentage points from last year, it is the second consecutive year in which a majority of state residents said the state is heading in the wrong direction.

• This year, crime surged to the top of state residents’ concerns, named by about one fifth of respondents (19%). • Confidence in state government remains low. Only 28% of Louisiana residents say they are either “very confident” or “somewhat confident” in state government to address pressing problems.

• The index of consumer sentiment, which measures changes in the outlook for the economy, for Louisiana is 53.5 in the early spring of 2023, a slight improvement over 50.3 in 2022 but well below the value for the United States as a whole, 63.5.

• Four out of five Louisiana residents (80%) say that crime has increased over the last few years. One fourth of state residents report they were the victim of a property crime within the past year, and 15% report they were attacked or threatened with violence.

• Most Louisiana adults (76%) visited a doctor in the past year for a routine checkup. Yet, 22% of adult Louisiana residents have not seen a doctor in more than a year.
  Overall, 13% of adult Louisiana residents have needed to see a doctor for their physical health in the past year but could not because they could not afford the cost. The same share (13%) have needed mental health care within the past year but could not afford it.

Read more: Louisiana Survey 2023 Report

LANDRY: Louisiana's Criminal Justice System is Failing Us

Louisiana has 3 cities in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the country.

Kennedy, Grassley introduce commonsense reforms to combat violent crime

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in introducing the Combatting Violent and Dangerous Crime Act to fight the surge in crime by reforming the criminal code and clarifying existing law. The legislation aims to help law enforcement better prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes.

“Murder, carjacking, kidnapping and other violent crime are on the rise in major cities across our country. We cannot afford to let criminals off the hook when they choose crime and violence. This bill would help law enforcement get dangerous predators off our streets and away from innocent Americans,” said Kennedy.

“Crime is skyrocketing in communities across the country. Carjackings, homicides, attacks on law enforcement are all up. We have a duty to ensure that penalties for federal offenses serve as a deterrent and that any ambiguity from split court decisions is rectified so that perpetrators can be held accountable. This bill includes a number of small fixes that will go a long way in improving justice and preventing future crimes. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have bipartisan support to advance these modest, but meaningful, reforms. American communities are suffering under a scourge of lawlessness, so I hope we get some cooperation soon and I’ll keep reaching across the aisle to get it,” said Grassley.

Notable reforms in the bill include:

• Bank robbery

  • Updates the definition of “attempted bank robbery” to clarify that the statute punishes ordinary “attempts” at bank robbery. This means that the offender intended to commit bank robbery and took a “substantial step” toward carrying out that intent.

  • Adds a new “conspiracy” offense to allow for the prosecution of criminals who conspired with others to commit bank robbery.

• Deadly crimes

  • Removes the common law year-and-a-day limitation on indictments for federal crimes that result in the death of the victim since many victims survive their attacks thanks to modern medicine yet still succumb to their injuries more than one year later.

• Vehicular homicide (carjacking)

  • Reduces the burden for prosecutors who can prove the offender took the vehicle by violence or intimidation by striking the “intent” requirement.

  • Creates a conspiracy to commit carjacking offense, which applies the same penalty as offenders who carry out the offense.

  • Increases the statutory maximum imprisonment term for carjacking from 15 to 20 years as well as the penalty for offenders who use dangerous weapons to carry out a carjacking.

• Candy-flavored drugs

  • Enhances penalties for marketing candy-flavored controlled substances to minors.

• Kidnapping

  • Clarifies that federal kidnapping charges can apply to non-violent abductions, including abductions by deception.

Text of the legislation is available here. 

Watch Kennedy’s remarks here.

Democrats Want to Empty Our Prisons

As violent crime surges across the country, extremist Democrats are bent on doing one thing: releasing violent criminals from prison.https://t.co/9g4s8J81LS

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 12, 2022