For years, too many New Orleanians have cried out against a criminal justice system stacked against them. People across this nation are also expressing their frustration with a system that does not work. They took to the streets this summer because they were frustrated with a system that has had a dual purpose since its inception. One that seeks justice for the wealthy and historic majority, and another one that favors punishment against the poor and historically disenfranchised. This double-standard of justice was absolutely by design, which means it can be undone. It is time to re-imagine and redesign a justice system that equitably serves all people. As District Attorney, Jason Williams will lead this charge.
For years, too many New Orleanians have cried out against a criminal justice system stacked against them. People across this nation are also expressing their frustration with a system that does not work. They took to the streets this summer because they were frustrated with a system that has had a dual purpose since its inception. One that seeks justice for the wealthy and historic majority, and another one that favors punishment against the poor and historically disenfranchised. This double-standard of justice was absolutely by design, which means it can be undone. It is time to re-imagine and redesign a justice system that equitably serves all people. As District Attorney, Jason Williams will lead this charge.
The District Attorney’s Office has been guided by a win-at-all-cost culture that prioritizes high conviction rates, artificially set high screening acceptance rates and harsh sentencing over more effective approaches that are proven to reduce crime.
As District Attorney, Jason will replace a culture that seeks victory for prosecutors with a culture that seeks justice for victims.
As Chair of the City Council Criminal Justice Committee, Jason has led the fight against the current DA and his regressive and abusive policies.
For more than 20 years Jason has been speaking truth to power and fighting for the rights of the people of this city.
He will continue to press that case as District Attorney.
Abuses of authority by those crowned with the public trust are far too common, and have been consistently ignored by the current District Attorney. As NOPD leadership has realized in the wake of the current federal consent decree, outside pressure can improve both the culture and policies of local law enforcement.
The current DA commits to accepting at least 90% of cases that come across his desk. With this, he essentially commits to accepting and prosecuting a number of bad cases involving improper or unconstitutional arrests, thereby encouraging and endorsing a culture of bad behavior that he is legally sworn to fight. This very pattern of blind case acceptance is often a gateway for even more outrageous law enforcement behavior.
Record of Reform: Councilmember Jason Williams Announces Plans to Create New Advisory Committee to Examine Allocation of City Resources
Record of Reform: New Orleans City Council Calls for New Public Database on Police Misconduct
Other District Attorneys throughout the state typically prosecute 60 to 75% of cases forwarded to them, using a robust screening process to weed out legally insufficient or frivolous cases in the interest of justice. The current DA, however, has set a quota of accepting and prosecuting over 90% of them. In doing so, he shirks his responsibility to guard public trust and resources. Not only does this overburden the courts and delay trials, but it is the number one driver that makes our city and state the most incarcerated places in America.
The current DA's over-prosecution is based on the misguided belief that the more we prosecute, the safer we are. His win-at-all-cost toxic culture has not made us safer, but it has made New Orleans the national leader of exonerations by wrongfully convicting innocent men.
Treat addiction as a medical problem, not a crime
Drug overdose deaths in New Orleans have outpaced homicides in recent years. Jason recognizes and has always argued that the solution to drug addiction is treatment, not incarceration, regardless of the type of drug or ethnicity of the user. Jails and prisons are simply not equipped to treat addiction.
Treat mental illness as a medical problem, not a crime
Untreated and under-treated serious mental illnesses place stress on every facet of the criminal justice system. Jails and prisons are ill-equipped to treat psychiatric disorders, yet as many as 1 in 5 incarcerated persons in the United States suffers a serious mental illness. Once incarcerated, those with serious mental illness are at increased risk of victimization and often do not get the treatment they need, causing even further mental deterioration. It is immoral, ineffective, and extremely costly to use the criminal justice system to warehouse our residents living with mental illness.
Reform the current money bail system
“We owe it to morality, to all tax payers and the city at large to stop paying a king’s ransom to house and feed a population of nonviolent residents who could be working to house and feed themselves.” - Jason
The vast majority of people held in our local jail have not been convicted of any crime; they simply cannot afford bail while awaiting their day in court. This is a shame and must end.
Due to the current DA's overly aggressive tactics, many individuals too poor to buy their freedom languish in jail until they're ultimately acquitted or assigned probation and released. Their time in jail does nothing to achieve public safety, but it costs them, their families and the city greatly.
From his years on the City Council, Jason understands that the current money bail system actually extracts huge sums of money from the city’s budget. It costs over $2 million per year just to staff a 50-person pod at our local jail.
By engaging in thoughtful, practical reform of the current “money bail” system, New Orleans will see a reduced strain on the legal system and a reduced jail population, paying dividends back into the City’s coffers. We can use that savings to stabilize the budget, invest in communities, and create a system built on equity and fairness.
Record of Reform: Committee Hosts Discussion on Ending Money Injustice in the Criminal Legal System
Record of Reform: Council Releases Bonds Paid Public Information Dashboard - New Orleans City Council
Treat all victims with respect and sensitivity
Current District Attorney Cannizzaro has failed to prioritize the real needs of victims. The response to violence should be centered on the needs of survivors, based on accountability, and developed in consultation with victim advocates and experts.
Never jail rape or domestic abuse survivors
DA Cannizzaro has refused to end his grievous practice of jailing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as a means of forcing them to testify. As progressive prosecutors in major American cities have started using their power to repair their communities, it is profoundly troubling that our current DA is hell-bent on these types of regressive policies. Such actions have a chilling effect on current and future victims and witnesses.
These policies, in some instances, have caused the survivors to spend more time in jail than the actual perpetrators. The idea that a prosecutor would jail victims of violence and sexual assault is misogynistic, barbaric, and despicable. Frankly, it is embarrassing to have this issue play out on the national stage, receiving strong rebukes from Democrats and Republicans alike all across the nation.
Record of Reform: Councilman seeks to condemn Orleans DA for jailing crime victims | Crime/Police | nola.com
Record of Reform: Council President Releases Statement on Practices of District Attorney Cannizzaro
We have a moral obligation to protect all of our residents. On the City Council, Jason fought President Trump’s anti-immigration agenda and built trust between immigrants and our municipal government.
Record of Reform: ‘Not in my city, not in my country’: Jason Williams gives fiery speech at #MuslimBan protest | WGNO
Record of Reform: Open Letter to Mayor Cantrell - Our Voice Nuestra Voz
Record of Reform: Councilmembers Helena Moreno & Jason Williams Release Statement on Deportation of Delmar Joel Ramirez Palma
During Jason's tenure on the City Council, he pushed for use of technology and data to enhance the lives of New Orleanians. Jason established the first of their kind, public-facing dashboards to track neighborhood crime trends, track police incidents of misconduct, jail population, money bail, traffic camera tickets and local COVID-19 spread. These dashboards were posted to the City Council website and provided residents 24 hour access to updates on what was occurring in their city from the comfort of their homes.
Transparency will be the cornerstone of the DA's office just as it was during Jason's tenure on the Council.
Record of Reform: Crime Dashboard
Record of Reform: Consent Decree Dashboard
Record of Reform: Jail Population Snapshot
Record of Reform: Bond Paid Dashboard
Record of Reform: City Council President Jason Williams and District "D" Councilmember Jared Brossett to Host Know Your Rights Forum on October 19
Record of Reform: City Council Releases Open Letter to District Attorney Requesting Data and Transparency - New Orleans City Council
If we want all the people of New Orleans to believe in our laws and courts, we must acknowledge the pain and havoc our criminal legal system has wrought in our poor and black communities.
(1) Work with federal authorities to aggressively pursue charges against any police officer or other official who hurts, lies or cheats in the name of the law, including past investigations that were dropped.
(2) Re-investigate cold murder cases. Too many Black and brown people have been murdered and their killers never identified or held accountable because we've failed to solve enough crime in poor neighborhoods.
(3) Review the accuracy and justice of past convictions and sentences. Current DA Cannizzaro has made it a practice not to disclose new evidence that might reveal a past conviction was made erroneously or through misconduct by police or prosecutors.
Record of Reform: Councilmember Jason Williams Issues Statement in Response to Today's U.S. Supreme Court Decision Abolishing Split Juries
Record of Reform: Council President to Bring "Undesign the Redline" Exhibit to City Hall
The overwhelming majority of justice system-involved youth have been exposed to victimization and other childhood adversities. Up to 33% have developed PTSD. The jailing of juveniles causes additional trauma that will further reduce their opportunities to become productive members of society. Thus, it is important to look to the root causes of juveniles acting out and provide services based on a comprehensive assessment of needs.
The brain of a juvenile is much different than that of an adult, and understanding those differences is critical in responding to and reforming juvenile misconduct.
Record of Reform: City Council Requests Budget Allocation for Early Childhood Education - New Orleans City Council
Record of Reform: New Orleans City Council Calls For Increase In Trauma Services For Children | Center for Health Journalism
Record of Reform: LCCR : New Orleans City Council Commits to Addressing Childhood Trauma
Record of Reform: https://gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/New-Orleans-Jason-Williams-Champion-write-up.pdf
Record of Reform: City Council Criminal Justice Committee Receives Presentations on Juvenile Intervention Strategies
Record of Reform: Councilmember Jason Williams Issues Statement on Juvenile Intervention Strategies