2026 Legislative Session Public Safety and Criminal Justice Overview
With just weeks until the legislative session begins, the nearly 200 prefiled bills and the spotlight of local journalism reflect the policy priorities that will dominate the legislature this year. On the public safety front, a growing concern over corrections costs and budgetary issues, a renewed attention to the value of reentry courts and prerelease programming, and the practical obstacles facing those newly released from prison are all in discussion.
The state Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) requested a budget increase of 11% for 2026-2027, bringing the current budget of $716.5 million to $798.2 million. The request came as part of the current administration’s budget proposal and did not go unnoticed by news outlets quick to point out that the hike accompanies changes in sentencing and parole procedure. In an editorial for the Times-Picayune|NOLA.com, the authors asked, “Does the state with the nation’s highest incarceration rate really need to spend even more money on prisons?”
Similarly, the Louisiana Illuminator noted that the request for more money is a fulfillment of predictions: “Critics of the new sentencing process expected it to increase the state’s prison population, which appears to be happening. Since Landry has taken office, the number of state inmates in Louisiana has grown by approximately 2,000 people to 30,100 overall…” The functions of the DPSC are vital, and recent drops and record lows in homicide as well as other crimes in Louisiana’s major cities indicate that smart, bold strategies are in action and effective. With both the statistical success of the last year and the proposed increase in budget in mind, taxpayers are left to wonder why safety and fiscal prudence can’t go hand in hand.
A revived interest in the merits of evidence-backed recidivism reduction strategies has shown a light on the existing programs in Louisiana, and the potential for more. Last month, the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee conducted a hearing to explore the state of reentry programs and the resources available to prisoners in the state. During the hearing, officials and stakeholders testified to the power of reentry courts, in-prison rehabilitation and pre-release transition supports, and second chance hiring. While reentry courts and rehabilitation-focused programs exist, officials and stakeholders were in agreement that more can and should be done. Education and career training for inmates and the newly released can mean the difference between reincarceration or restored communities. To equip those within the criminal justice system with the tools to become contributing members of society is to invest in a future where a ballooning prison population and a strained budget is not a concern.
The tasks that lie ahead are to somehow expand reentry courts to all parishes, even the smaller and more rural ones, standardize in prison education and career training alongside early reentry resources, and to pay particular attention to vulnerable populations, like women and survivors of human trafficking. In this spirit, Representative Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, has introduced House Bill 168 to create a transitional reentry program for female parolees. The legislation outlines criteria for qualifying for the reentry program and designates oversight to the Louisiana DPSC with the goal of ensuring successful reintegration into society. HB 168 correctly identifies a need for targeted efforts and has the potential to change countless lives through evidence-backed programming.
In addition to creating reentry pathways and strengthening resource options, there is a legislative appetite for removing some of the more practical obstacles to a successful reentry. Photo identification is crucial to accessing housing, employment, car rentals, and much more. Often, those released have a series of identification issues that stop progress in its tracks. While the Louisiana DPSC offers obtainment of identification and even driver’s licenses in their pre-release procedures, the state still falls behind others in codifying this process into law, particularly for those housed in local facilities. Like strengthening reentry courts and in-prison education, ensuring that the newly released have valid forms of identification is a commitment to the savings that reduced recidivism and successfully transitioned people can bring to Louisiana’s economy.
House Bill 167, also introduced by Rep. Freiberg, provides a roadmap for collaboration between the DPSC and the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) in order to provide special ID cards to inmates before their release from incarceration. By prioritizing the practical matter of documentation and proper identification, the DPSC can set inmates up for success in their search for post-incarceration employment. HB 167 breaks down a barrier to successful reentry by utilizing state agencies strategically, and is an exemplar of sound criminal justice policy.
The legislature and people of Louisiana are ready for laws that are not only tough, but more importantly, smart on crime.