May 31, 2007

I.
This individual has been arrested on three different occasions for public drunkenness (was held at OPP twice and was transferred to Jefferson once). He insists that he doesn’t drink, and that he was never been tested for intoxication at the time of these arrests. The same officers arrested on each occasion. They told him they plan to arrest him every time they see him. These two officers work in the French Quarter. The last time he was arrested on this charge was November 25, 2006 while walking down the street. During the arrest, he was searched and the officers were physically rough– enough to give him bruises– and they were also verbally abusive. At first, he was in the holding area and then transferred to a tent. The holding area was awful, with no showers or food. Inmates were packed in so tightly they were touching. He didn’t observe any mold and had no health issues. He was one of the first prisoners to use the tents so the conditions were good. During his stay, corrections officers physically and verbally abused him. Without any explanation, he was released after one month. His wallet and clothes were taken and never returned.

During Hurricane Katrina, the individual also served a six month sentence for cocaine possession and was moved to Hunts. On this occasion, he was driving a work truck with six other people in the vehicle. They searched the vehicle and found cocaine. He was the only one arrested. Bond was not set within 72 hours after his arrest, and it took four or five months for a court appearance. During the evacuation, he said that his human rights were repeatedly violated. While being temporarily housed at the greyhound bus station, he witnessed prisoners being maced, tasered, and shot with bean bag guns by corrections officers. For the six months he spent in prison he experienced the loss of wages, his job, benefits, and housing (he was homeless after Katrina).

In total, this individual has served one year for public drunkenness (on three different occasions) and cocaine possession. He is unsure if he has ever been read his rights, but on no occasion was he allowed access to the phone, and at no point did a public defender interview or call him.

II.
The individual was a passenger in a vehicle, driven by her mother, when she was arrested in Algiers on May 30^th. The individual and her mother were going to the store to pick up some Neosporin. During the arrest, Officer Sullivan was physically abusive, including kicking her. The officers didn’t search her pockets, but they planted marijuana and arrested her for possession. She was held upstairs in HOD for 24 hours. While there, she noticed mold on the ceiling and in corners, and the ceiling was leaking. About 50 people were packed in the cell. She didn’t experience any respiratory problems or headaches while in jail. The corrections officers made her wait 45 minutes to use the bathroom. All requests were ignored by the officers. She was not allowed to use the phone. A public defender contacted her and told her that she would have to go to drug court. The bond was set at $500.00, and she is scheduled to appear in court on June 1^st. All of her possessions were returned upon release.

III.
The individual was pulled over on January 10, 2007, while driving in Algiers. The arrest was due to a warrant stemming from a 2 ½ year old theft charge. Since then, he has been jailed on this charge three or four times. The last time he was arrested for this was July 5, 2005– he was released on October 30, 2006 on article 701. (During that time he was incarcerated in Jefferson Parish and had to be evacuated due to Katrina. He said that went days without access to the bathroom.) He wasn’t allowed bond because he was deemed a flight risk. Both the individual and his vehicle were not searched, and he didn’t have any problems with the arresting officers. He was transferred from Angola to OPP’s HOD. While in HOD, he was not fed adequately; he was only fed every three or four days. He did not receive medication regularly; he even went without meds for seven days (he was charged $5.00 for medication). There were no mats to lie down on, and 45-50 people were packed in a cell. During health inspections, officers made everyone get off the floor, clear their mats out and stand—they only had 17 to a cell then. The plumbing was broken and there wasn’t a working toilet in the yard. He witnessed guards beating inmates. The individual also stated that although he was in for a nonviolent misdemeanor they put him in maximum security lock-down where he sat in his cell for 23 hours a day.

He was released on May 31, 2007 on article 701. His bond was not set within 72 hours and he still hasn’t appeared in court. He was not given access to a public defender until he filed a written complaint. Eventually, he spoke with a pubic defender who told him to get a lawyer. The individual has seen a public defender twice, but only in court. While in court, the pd never spoke to him, s/he only spoke with the deputies. All of his property was returned upon release.

IV.
On May 30^th, a woman was involved in a car accident near Franklin and Gentilly Avenue. During the accident she sustained bruising of her left leg and was denied medical attention, instead she was arrested. The officers at the scene ran her license and found that she had an attachment for a suspended license. They did not search her or the car. She was never notified of her rights, nor was she allowed to use the phone. The only way her family knew that she was being held is because she called them right after the accident. The arresting officer was nice to her, but the corrections officers were “horrible.” They were verbally abusive, often cursing at her and other inmates. She said that they were treated like “trash” and like “dogs.” During her stay at OPP, they moved her twice between the holding cell and across the street. She met some people that had been in the holding cell for two days. She was not given sheets or pillows, and was only allowed one blanket. Everyone had to lie on a vinyl mat that hadn’t been cleaned. She didn’t see any mold, and didn’t have any respiratory problems or headaches. A public defender never contacted her. She was released on her own recognizance on May 31^st at 5:40 pm. All of her property was returned upon release.

V.
The night of May 30^th, the individual and a friend were arrested on Bourbon Street for asking someone for a lighter and trying to trade cigarettes with them. At that point, officers put them in handcuffs and were told that they were being arrested for prostitution. The officers said they had the solicitation on video, which was bogus. They were not read their rights and were searched when they arrived at the jail. The undercover arresting officers, believed to be Officer Ciroir and Officer Labat, made disrespectful and sexually inappropriate comments. The officers took their cigarettes, a lighter, and condoms– the items were never returned. They were in the holding cell for just under 24 hours. The cell smelled bad, there was no room to lie down, the floors were filthy (cleaned once in 20 hours), no water came from the sink, there was no toilet paper, the toilet was moldy, and there were people going through drug withdrawal vomiting on the floor. The individual experienced a migraine headache that received no medical treatment. She also noticed that there was a pregnant woman in a cell with everyone else. A public defender never contacted her. At this time, she is unsure of the conditions of her release.

VI.
A man was beaten by a corrections officer just before being released (at approximately 5:20 pm on May 31^st). Another detainee witnessed the beating. At the time, the man was too upset to speak to us. But the witness said that the beating was completely unprovoked.

VII.
On April 19, the individual was arrested while driving away from a Kmart in Jefferson Parish. The charges were misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor attachment from New Orleans Parish. Basically, he was charged for giving a ride to a girl. He didn’t have any stolen property on him. He was treated “badly” by the arresting officers. They informed him of his rights, and both him and his vehicle were searched. He was held for 42 days: three of them spent in the holding cell, two days in the tent camp, and the remainder in Conchetta. The tents were “decent,” HOD was “livable,” and the holding cell was “filthy.” It was standing room only, with people sleeping on the floor. There was no plumbing so the cell smelled like urine. Mold was all over the jail. He has emphysema so he experienced respiratory problems, but he didn’t have any headaches. The corrections officers were “not bad.” A pubic defender never contacted him. He was released when his sentence was served. All of his property was lost and never returned.