Netflix recently released the trailer for the new season of Jailbirds, set in the Orleans Justice Center.
Together with The Promise of Justice Initiative, Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition and Voice of the Experienced, we released the following statement.
Thursday, September 16, 2021 -- We are appalled to learn of the newest season of Jailbirds, which takes place in New Orleans Parish Prison. That this documentary was allowed to happen is an abhorrent misuse of the Sheriff's time. Furthermore, Sheriff Gusman gave no official notice of the show’s filming and production. The allegations from the previous installation of the series are troubling and the current trailer appears to be more of the same.
During an ongoing global pandemic, where incarcerated people are exponentially more at risk for serious illness, priority should be on protecting the health and safety of those in his care, not creating voyeuristic entertainment.
Mass incarceration has innumerable and detrimental impacts to individuals, their families and the community. It should not be misconstrued as some form of summer camp for adults, or used for punchlines, sound bites, or exploitation of vulnerable people. That reality TV is a priority speaks volumes.
