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Responding to Hurricane Katrina: Correctional Response: What If?

Responding to Hurricane Katrina: Correctional Response: What If?. Dr. Peter Scharf Center for Society Law and Justice Pscharf@uno.edu Presented to the NJ ACA Plenary October 5, 2006.

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Responding to Hurricane Katrina: Correctional Response: What If?

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  1. Responding to Hurricane Katrina: Correctional Response: What If? Dr. Peter Scharf Center for Society Law and Justice Pscharf@uno.edu Presented to the NJ ACA Plenary October 5, 2006

  2. Corrections under Siege:” 37 people died in Memorial Hospital-none died in the evacuation of OPP”-LA AG Charles Foti Hurricane Katrina and Correctional Options-Could it Happen in your facility?-What If

  3. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast on the morning of Monday, August 29, 2005.

  4. As the storm approached, several factors caused great concern for New Orleans residents and Corrections: • Geographically, 3/4 of the city is under sea level. Strong dependence on the levees for protection from floods. • Approaching sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. • The storm is a category 5 on August 28, 2006. Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the first mandatory evacuation in the history of New Orleans.

  5. Those who stayed behind faced the catastrophe of Katrina.

  6. The devastating winds came first.

  7. Structural damage was already widespread in the city immediately after the hurricane passed on Monday.

  8. 1 day after Katrina hit New Orleans (Tuesday, August 30th) the levees began to break, drowning the city. Pictured: Flood water spilling over a levee along the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal in New Orleans.

  9. An estimated 80% of New Orleans was underwater as levees broke in and around the city. Orleans Parish Prison is about 1500 meters from Superdome.

  10. As flood waters continued to rise, those who had remained behind, who could not or would not leave, sought refuge and looked for higher ground. What about offenders? How might they be evacuated?

  11. People sought out highest ground possible-how about being trapped inside a correctional facility?

  12. The correctional response began in JPSO and OPCSO facilities as waters rose.

  13. Inmates joined others on interstate highways-an ersatz correctional facility

  14. Orleans Parish Prison Inmates were tagged and triaged using analog and then AFIS technologies “We had no idea who they were-people with ties and orange suits.” OPCSO correctional officer

  15. What happened at Orleans Parish Prison Following Hurricane Katrina?

  16. Day 1:Saturday, August 277:00 am • Louisiana Department of Safety and Corrections activates its emergency plans to prepare for and respond to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. • They are headquartered in the Incident Management Center (IMC).

  17. Status of New Orleans metropolitan area prisons on August 27: • Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish initially do not plan to evacuate inmates; intend to “ride out the storm.” • St. Bernard Parish notifies IMC that they are going to evacuate inmates to the Orleans Parish Prison (OPP)

  18. Day 3:Monday August 29 • 11:45 PM Jefferson Parish Prison contacts IMC asking that LA DPS&C evacuate all inmates. Number of inmates to evacuate: 1,100 (approx) • 10 minutes later Orleans ParishPrison contacts IMC asking to evacuate all OPP inmates. Number of Inmates to evacuate: 6,000 (approx) • Decision was made to evacuate Jefferson Parish Prison first.

  19. Evacuation Problems facing State and IMC: • Not enough buses to transport inmates • Not enough qualified drivers for buses • Fuel shortage: • all but impossible to purchase fuel • fuel trucks being hijacked in Katrina aftermath

  20. Day 3:Tuesday, August 30 • Jefferson Parish inmate evacuation complete. • No escapes and no serious injuries. • Transport buses now diverted to Orleans Parish Prison.

  21. Day 3: “All I remember is the smell”- JPSO Entry team memberTuesday, August 30 Orleans Parish Prison Status • Jail complex flooded • Water depth 5-8 feet surrounding the buildings, making access by foot and vehicle difficult to impossible. • Non-inmate (e.g. family members, neighbors) refugees also in complex in order to escape flood waters in neighborhood.

  22. The flooded area around the jail complex. These environmental conditions were difficult to predict.

  23. Deteriorating Conditions at Jail • No power. • No lights. • No running water. • No working toilets. • No opening windows and no fresh air. • Stifling heat.

  24. Orleans Prison faced 2 evacuation challenges: 1. Evacuate prisoners out of jail buildings 2. Transport prisoners through floodwaters to highway overpass where buses could transport people out.

  25. Action taken: • Inmates ferried in groups of 4-6 to highway overpass. • Steadily growing inmate population on overpass was controlled by probation and parole staff.

  26. How was care delivered to 6000 prisoners being evacuated from the flooded jail in small boats, two to six individuals at a time, to a freeway overpass?

  27. Highway overpass becomes staging area for evacuation out of New Orleans • Overpass becomes increasingly crowded waiting for evacuation buses. • Inmates tired, thirsty, hungry. • Low amount of staff (one report was 30 officers and 3000 inmates). • Situation complicated by angry and emotional New Orleans civilians wanting to be transported out of the area before inmates.

  28. All 6000 prisoners are eventually evacuated • Inmates loaded into vehicles and transported to the Louisiana State Penitentiary and Elayn Hunt Correctional Institute and then to 31correctional facilities. • No loss of life • No serious injuries • No escapes

  29. Discussion Principles of Correctional Response to Natural Disasters

  30. Principles of Correctional Natural Disaster Response:

  31. “There were 260 sex offenders missing after the Hurricane”- US Government report- “Many offenders remained in 31 different facilities for want of Public Defense” NO-TP Legal and Ethical Issues: balance of risk-correctional officer safety, inmate safety, legal process, inmates rights-rights and interests in conflict

  32. (Communication/IT issues Issues) • Back up communications • Legal back up in the absence of RMS/CMS • Identification Technologies • Legal processes challenges • Back-up options

  33. Health/Mental Health: Officers and Staff • Risks to officers • Correctional Officer Resiliency • Family and Correctional Officer Mental Health • Extraction issues-ethnographic observations-JPSO • Long Term care

  34. Correctional Officer Behavior Under Extreme Stress • What are human resources corrections can rely on under extreme stress? • What is role of management in preparing officers for positive leadership under extreme conditions?

  35. Health/Mental Health: Offenders • Risks to inmates • Inmates with physical/mental conditions • Inmate Panic • Offender Mental Health • Legal Risks • Long Term care

  36. Cooperative Agreements: Who helped • LA AG • LA DOC • Other State DOC • Federal Agencies • Public Defender entities • Others

  37. Conclusions • Plan • Ask “What if?” • Work in teams • Develop resiliency plans • Develop family support for officers • Work with your correctional partners • Simulate and reality test your plan

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