![New Orleans Council Members Discuss Jail Reform](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2013/10/prison-bars-e1461706432371.jpg?w=980&q=75)
New Orleans Council Members Discuss Jail Reform
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A prison consultant says changes in New Orleans police and court practices would help reduce the city jail population — and the cost of implementing court-ordered jail reforms.
James Austin told the City Council Friday that the Orleans Parish Prison population is drifting downward, but needs to be reduced by hundreds to avoid higher costs. Austin said police and courts should avoid locking up people for less serious offenses. He also said the city should work with the state to reduce the number of state inmates held in the local lockup.
The chief jailer, Sheriff Marlin Gusman, was to make a presentation later Friday as city budget hearings for 2014 continue.
The city is paying $1.88 million this year for court-ordered reforms. Future costs are yet to be determined.
More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL
![Louisiana Drivers Pay More for Auto Insurance Than 48 Other States](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2020/09/traffic-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Baton Rouge, Louisiana Ranks as One of the Least Safe Cities in America](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2022/04/attachment-gettyimages-1219410516.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Louisiana Man Robbed at Gunpoint in His Own Home](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/01/attachment-Untitled-design-43.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![First-Ever Buc-ee’s Store in Texas Goes Up in Flames](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-Screen-Shot-2024-07-01-at-4.35.26-PM.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Louisiana, This 5-Gallon Bucket Air Conditioner Could Help You Beat the Heat](http://townsquare.media/site/33/files/2019/07/Homemade-Bucket-Air-Conditioner.png?w=980&q=75)
![Major Crash and Scattered Debris Close I-10 West in Louisiana](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/06/attachment-Screen-Shot-2024-06-30-at-10.26.47-AM.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Mall of Louisiana Announces Strict Policy for Minors](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/06/attachment-Screen-Shot-2024-06-25-at-12.00.48-PM.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Infant in Louisiana Attacked by Family Dog](http://townsquare.media/site/34/files/2021/07/attachment-GettyImages-1277241907.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Can Someone Really Steal Your House in Louisiana?](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/05/attachment-Untitled-design-61.jpg?w=980&q=75)