Project To Look At Changes To La. Prison System

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's prison system and sentencing laws are getting reviewed by a national organization that will be looking at ways to shrink the state's prison population.

Louisiana has the highest rate of incarceration nationally, with one in every 55 adults in jail. The state's corrections budget is more than $660 million.

Governor Bobby Jindal announced Thursday that The Pew Center on the States will be offering

suggestions for legislation that could help reduce repeat offenses and get nonviolent offenders out of jail and into treatment.

Pew has done similar research partnerships with more than 20 other states, looking at ways to improve public safety while also cutting prison costs.

The research project will last all year, but Jindal says he expects to have some legislation to propose for the upcoming regular session that begins in April.