November 1, 2006

I.

A woman was arrested for solicitation. The arresting police officer slammed her against the car, put on her handcuffs very tight, and jerked her down the street. She was held from 12 am- 3 pm. During that time she was held in a cell with 20-30 other girls. One girl in her cell had mono. She was given one sandwich at 4 am.

 II.

A woman was arrested for an outstanding traffic ticket in Jefferson Parish (which had been paid) and having an invalid license plate. The arresting police officers flirted with her, and one made inappropriate sexual comments. He stared at her and stood uncomfortably close to her while she was in handcuffs. She was held in the OPP from 12 am- 2 pm. The woman searching her at the prison searched her inappropriately, grabbing her breast firmly. There were 40 people in her cell, which was designed for 20 people. It was hot, overcrowded and dirty. She was given 2 sandwiches at 10 am. She describes the meat on the sandwiches as green. She was not given a sheet. The toilet facilities were disgusting, with no toilet paper. While she was in jail, she had respiratory problems. She witnessed mold around the baseboards and on the floor. She was not given access to counsel. 

III.

A man was arrested after a bouncer called the cops on him at a nightclub. He was searched and cuffed and taken to the OPP. He was held from 2 am- 3pm. He describes the conditions as dirty and overcrowded. There were 45 people in a cell designed for 10 people. He had to stand the whole time. He was not given access to counsel.

 IV.

Two girls were arrested at the UNO campus for minor marijuana possession. They were arrested by the campus police and taken to the NOPD and then to the OPP. They searched the car. They describe the inside of the jail as “gross and unsanitary.” The floors were dirty and the toilet disgusting. The cell smelled funny. There were 30 people in the room, with people sleeping on the floor and next to the toilet. There was food smeared on the wall. They saw mold on the walls.

 V.

A man was arrested because of a warrant. He had been subpoenaed to court, and because of a change of address, had not received the subpoena. He was searched. He was held overnight in the holding cell. The condition of the jail is described as “poor and overcrowded,” with people bumping into each other. He was given no sheet, and no food.
VI.

A man was arrested, along with his wife, in their front yard during their young son’s birthday party. They were arrested for disturbing the peace. They were not read their rights. They were searched and patted down, and accused of lying. This all occurred in front of their son, who is a young child. He was held from 10 pm-1:30 pm the next day. There were 50 people in his cell. He describes his cell as filthy. He was not given access to counsel.

October 26, 2006

A man was arrested on two occasions.  In May of 2006 as he was walking on the sidewalk, he was stopped by police.  The police charged him with “unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.”  He was stopped again on by police on August 8, 2006 and charged with possession of marijuana and criminal trespass.

On both occasions he was searched by police.  On the second occasion police searched his pockets.  It was during this second incident that a police officer threatened to kill him.

During his first arrest he was held for approximately 60 days, 3 of which were in the holding cell at OPP.  During his second arrest he was held for about 45 days, with nearly 2 days in holding.  He described being put in a cell measuring about 6×6 feet, with about 15-18 people held inside the cell.

The conditions in the jail were very unsanitary.  The toilet was backed up, with 2-3 day old feces.  While housed in Templeman 5 he noticed mold along the bottom perimeter of the walls. In the showers, the wallpaper was peeling and mold was growing underneath. He experienced headaches while in Templeman 5.

He states that the corrections officers treated the inmates with “no respect whatsoever.”  Verbal abuse was common, and requests for water were often denied.

When released after his first detention, none of his clothing was returned to him, including a newly purchased pair of steel-toed work boots.  After his second detention, his belongs were returned.

He did not speak with a public defender during his first incarceration.  During his second, he was in a group of about 30-40 other defendants meeting with the PD at arraignment.  The public  defender was only able to speak to about half of the defendants before the judge cut their time short, and did not give advice other than explaining the difference between felony and misdemeanor convictions. She gave out her phone number but the man was not able to get a hold of her.

He is currently awaiting another court date.

October 24, 2006

In October 2006, this man was a passenger in a car that was stopped for a routine traffic stop near a Walgreens. He was charged with possession of an open alcohol container. The car was searched and his person was searched. Police took his housekeys and did not return them.

He was held in custody for two weeks after being released by the judge and given a $100 fine. He was not allowed a phone call. He was held for three days in one of the tents, and was given no food, no sleeping mat. He was then transferred upstairs. He described the conditions as “nasty.” The toilets were overflowing, and the cells were overcrowded, with around 18-20 people in a 10 person cell. People had to sleep in the shower and near the toilet. They had no mats, nor blankets.

There was mold growing in the cells, in the showers, and in “the tank” on the lower floor of HOD.

He caught a cold while in custody. He suffers from both high blood pressure and Chrohn’s Disease. He requested medication at his intake, but was denied medication the entire time he was in custody. Corrections officers treated him and the others “horribly.”

He was able to speak to a public defender, who advised him to plead guilty and accept a fine so as to be released.

October 11, 2006

A man was arrested on Canal St. for public drunkenness. He was searched without consent. He was held in the medical ward, as he is a diabetic. He was not given access to counsel. He was incarcerated for 30 days.

October 10, 2006

A man was arrested for public drunkenness, despite him being sober. He was searched, and thrown into the back of the police car, with his handcuffs on him too tight. His ID was taken and not returned. He was in jail for 30 days. He describes the inside of the jail as overcrowded. He suffered seizures while incarcerated. He was not given access to any type of counsel.

July 12, 2006

I.

A woman was arrested for public drunkenness. She was not told what she was being arrested for. The female arresting officer was verbally abusive. The male arresting officer threw her down onto the ground. There were 40 females in one cell. She describes the cell as filthy.

II.

A man was arrested for domestic violence. He describes the cell has having 50 people in it, with no air conditioning. He was not returned his house keys.

July 11, 2006

I.

A man was pulled over for making an illegal left. He was arrested for an invalid license and an open alcohol container. He was held for 2 days in a holding cell, in which he described the conditions as having 53 people in the cell, only been given one sandwich per day and having been forced to sleep on the floor.

 II.

A man was arrested for an outstanding warrant which had already been resolved. He was kept overnight. He describes the condition of the jail as severely overcrowded and unsanitary. Trash was strewn about and the toilets were backed up. He was forced to sleep on the floor. He was never booked, and then released the next day.

July 10, 2006

A man was charged with public drunkenness, trespassing and disturbing the peace inside a bar in the French Quarter. Inside the jail he was given only 2 sandwiches and 4 Dixie cups of water in 2 days. He was put in a cell with about 40 other people. He slept on the floor in urine. He witnessed a fellow inmate being severely beaten by officers.

June 26, 2006

I.

A man was arrested with no charge. He was arrested at 7:30 am. Between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm he was given two sandwiches. He describes the inside of the jail as dirty with 50-60 people per cell.

 II.

A man was arrested for trespassing while he was walking on the sidewalk. The officer held him at gunpoint and told him he was going to shoot.

 III.

A woman was arrested for running a stop sign. She was arrested at 5 pm and held until 3:50 pm the next day. She was not given food the entire time. She describes the conditions as dirty and it stank.

 IV.

A woman was arrested for domestic violence. She was arrested the evening of June 25. Between the time of her arrest and her release at 4 pm the next day, she was given one sandwich. There were 15 girls packed in a small cell, and the bathroom was disgusting.

June 24, 2006

A man was charged with burglary in his own house because he was unable to find his ID. He was not given access to counsel. He was not given food or a bed. He describes the cell as extremely hot with people sleeping on the floor in excrement.