FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2021
MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL PROPOSES HISTORIC BUDGET ESTABLISHING FUNDING PARITY FOR ORLEANS PUBLIC DEFENDERS
2022 Budget Fully Enacts Funding Parity Ordinance of 2021; New Orleans Now Leader in Equity, Fairness in Criminal Legal System
New Orleans, LA – Yesterday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell sought to maintain New Orleans as a national leader in criminal legal system reform by establishing funding parity between the Orleans Public Defenders Office (OPD) and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office in her proposed 2022 city budget. The Mayor proposed an historic appropriation of $5,960,195, calling it a “priority and critical initiative.” The appropriation follows the Funding Parity for Public Defense Ordinance unanimously approved last year by the New Orleans City Council. The ordinance mandates 85% of the city budget appropriation allocated to the District Attorney be given to OPD. By reducing the funding gap between public defense and prosecution, the parity appropriation increases OPD’s ability to ethically, professionally, and constitutionally represent the almost 20,000 cases appointed each year. It begins to level the playing field for the disproportionately low-income, Black and Brown people navigating the justice system.
”This is truly a monumental moment and the result of years of fighting for fairness for our clients and community. We are extraordinarily grateful to the Mayor for her recognition of the importance in creating funding parity for public defense. Mayor Cantrell has put New Orleans at the forefront of equity and we look forward to continuing our work together for the betterment of our community.
We are also especially grateful to the City Council for their courage and unanimous commitment to fairness last year by passing the funding parity ordinance,” said Chief Defender Derwyn Bunton.
We must also acknowledge the immense perseverance of our clients and community who have long called for a fairer and more just legal system. They know firsthand the effects of an underfunded and out-resourced public defender. This moment belongs to them. They were the catalyst for this change and we are proud to fight alongside them for equity and fairness.”
This moment comes after years of warning of the detrimental effects of an underfunded public defense system. OPD represents approximately 85% of all people within the criminal legal system, yet historically has only received one-sixth to a quarter the funding as the DA. Years of disparities have brought wrongful convictions, delays in justice, higher jail populations, and even higher jail costs. For years, the system has remained unfair and unbalanced, favoring incarceration.
The City Council’s vote last year and the Mayor’s budget presentation yesterday send a strong message that New Orleans is committed to fairness and equity. It puts New Orleans at the forefront of reform efforts, making New Orleans a leader in justice equity in Louisiana and the country.
OPD is essential to the health and success of our community. Properly resourced public defenders strengthen communities by connecting people to critical services and treatment, programming and support, thereby reducing the demands on our jails and addressing the root causes of system interaction. Research continues to show public defense is one of the best criminal legal system investments leaders can make to lower system costs, reduce recidivism and minimize harm to the community.
Although parity is a huge step forward, it is not the antidote to the ills of our system. The ordinance and appropriation do not eliminate the fundamentally flawed user-pay structure of our criminal legal system – a system overly reliant on fines and fees generated largely by low-income people and communities of color. The Mayor’s budget does, however, greatly reduce OPD’s reliance on unstable and unreliable revenue.
The Orleans Public Defenders’ mission is to fight for our clients by providing excellent client-centered representation, reforming the system and partnering with the community. We believe in the strengths of our community and fight for dignity, justice and hope. OPD represents 85% of all cases in Criminal District Court, as well as Municipal, Traffic and Juvenile Court. OPD protects innocence, holds powerful actors accountable, and fights for our community by connecting clients to critical social services and treatment, housing, education and employment, and reentry services.
For media inquiries, contact Communications and Development Director Lindsey Hortenstine at .
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