Michael B. Jordan apparently got carried away with his role in the Creed movies while shooting the promo for the upcoming edition of Saturday Night Live, which he’ll host.
In the promo, released on Wednesday, Jordan is surveying the SNL studio when cast member Michael Longfellow approaches him from behind, startling the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actor. Jordan responds by nailing Longfellow with two hard punches to the face, causing him to scream “Jesus B. Christ!”
Jordan apologizes profusely, blaming it on “muscle memory.”
Longfellow, covering his broken nose, quips, “I can’t have a broken nose. I was hired for my looks, not my talent,” to which Jordan replies, “I know how that feels.”
The two patch things up, after which Jordan gives his fist a stern warning.
Jordan, whose new film Creed III opens March 3, hosts SNL this weekend with musical guest Lil Baby.
(NEW YORK) — An Illinois man has been arrested and charged for allegedly setting fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic, federal authorities said Wednesday.
Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicoth, Illinois, is facing charges of malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage as well as attempt to damage, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
The charges stem from a fire that was reported late in the night on Jan. 15 at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Peoria, about 160 miles southwest of Chicago. After interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage in the area, investigators learned that a white pickup truck with red doors had parked adjacent to the building shortly before the blaze began and drove away just moments after, according to the complaint.
At approximately 11:20 p.m. CT that night, a man wearing a coat with a hood pulled up and possibly a face mask was seen walking up to the Planned Parenthood clinic “with a laundry detergent-sized bottle,” according to the complaint. The man “lit a rag on fire on one end of the bottle, smashed a window with an object, then placed the container inside of the … building” before “quickly” fleeing the scene “on foot,” the complaint stated.
According to the Peoria Police Department, no patients or staff were inside the Planned Parenthood clinic at the time of blaze. A firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to extinguish the flames. Investigators quickly determined that the preliminary cause of the fire was arson, police said.
On Jan. 17, after receiving several tips, the Peoria Police Department linked the truck to Massengill. Police also obtained a booking photo of Massengill and found a Facebook account in his name, and the images from both “bear a likeness” to the man captured on surveillance video outside the Planned Parenthood clinic, according to the complaint.
On Jan. 23, a woman contacted local police to tell them that she had Massengill’s truck in her garage in Sparland, about 30 miles northeast of Peoria. She told police that, on Jan. 16, Massengill had requested to keep his white pickup truck in her garage and to paint its red doors white for $300, according to the complaint.
The woman said she last spoke with Massengill via Facebook on Jan. 18, when she asked him to come get his truck. She said he indicated that he had seen his truck on the news but told her: “I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it,” according to the complaint.
The FBI seized Massengill’s truck on Jan. 23, by which time the doors had been painted white. FBI agents also “recovered a paint grinder from the scene with red paint residue,” the complaint stated.
The following day, Massengill contacted the Peoria Police Department and said he wanted to speak about the Jan. 15 fire at the Planned Parenthood clinic. While meeting with investigators, Massengill initially denied responsibility for the blaze but ultimately admitted to breaking a window and placing a burning container inside the building. He also confirmed that he had asked someone to paint his truck white after the incident, according to the complaint.
Massengill told investigators that, approximately three years ago, he had a girlfriend in the Peoria area who became pregnant and had an abortion. He said she first told him about the abortion via telephone while he was working in Alaska, which upset him. On or around Jan. 15, Massengill said he heard or saw something that reminded him of the abortion, which upset him again, according to the complaint.
Massengill also told investigators that if his actions on the night of Jan. 15 caused “a little delay” in someone receiving abortion services at the Planned Parenthood clinic, it may have been “all worth it,” according to the complaint.
The Planned Parenthood location in Peoria, which had to be closed due to damage from the fire, offers medication abortion but is not a site for in-clinic procedures, according to Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.
Massengill was taken into custody on Jan. 24. If convicted on all charges, he faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least five years and could be sentenced to as many as 40 years behind bars. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
It was unknown whether Massengill had retained legal representation.
The incident at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Peoria happened just two days after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed comprehensive reproductive health care legislation into law that protects out-of-state abortion seekers and allows them to get an abortion. Illinois is among a number of U.S. states that have managed to enact legal reinforcements around abortions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.
Last week, the FBI announced that it is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the wake of a spate of attacks against reproductive health facilities across the country.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. economy grew robustly at the end of last year, defying recession fears and weathering an aggressive series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, government data showed.
U.S. gross domestic product grew by a 2.9% annualized rate over the three months ending in December, according to data released Thursday. It marked a slowdown from 3.2% growth in the previous quarter.
The economy expanded despite interest rate hikes imposed last year by the Federal Reserve that aim to slow price increases by cooling the economy and choking off demand.
The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. into a recession and putting millions out of work.
The gross domestic product data arrives days before the Federal Reserve decides whether to impose another interest rate hike, its first opportunity to do so this year. Last month, the Fed raised its short-term borrowing rate 0.5%, slowing the pace from previous rate hikes.
Economic activity shrank a combined 2.2% over the first six months of last year, marking two consecutive quarters of negative GDP, which many consider shorthand for identifying a downturn as a recession.
The National Bureau of Economic Research, a research organization seen as the formal authority for identifying recessions, uses a more complicated definition that takes into account an array of factors. It did not declare a recession last year.
The labor market has proven resilient. Hiring remained strong last month as employers added 233,000 jobs and wages grew a robust 4.6% compared to a year earlier.
Meanwhile, inflation has softened. Consumer prices rose 6.5% last month compared to a year ago, extending a months-long slowdown of price hikes after reaching a 40-year high in June.
Still, most economists expect a recession later this year, as interest rate hikes weigh on the economy, according to a survey released by Bloomberg last week. Forecasters expect gross domestic product to fall over the second and third quarters of this year, the survey found.
Despite the robust job market, growing evidence suggests the Fed’s rate hikes have put the brakes on some economic activity.
Home sales fell for the 11th consecutive month in November, reaching their lowest rate since November 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors.
CBS has renewed Bob Hearts Abishola for a fifth season. In its current fourth season, the Chuck Lorre-produced sitcom, starring Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku as the titular characters, is averaging 5.99 million viewers in its Monday 8:30 p.m. time slot. Factoring in Live+35 day multiplatform viewing, that number swells to more 6.9 million viewers. It also ranks as TV’s #2 comedy among African American viewers. Bob Hearts Abishola is the fourth top CBS comedy picked up for 2023-24 season, joining Young Sheldon, Ghosts and The Neighborhood…
Titans and Doom Patrol, which recently ended the first part of their season 4 runs on HBO Max, will come to an end with the upcoming second halves of their fourth seasons, according to Deadline. Titans and Doom Patrol — the last remaining live-action series from the the now-defunct DC Universe — moved to HBO Max after their first two seasons when DC Universe folded, then ran for two more seasons, both of which were crafted to complete their respective story arcs…
Lance Kerwin, the actor best known for his roles as James Hunter in the coming-of-age 1970s TV series James at 15 and James at 16, and Mark Petrie, the teen who becomes a vampire hunter in the Stephen King miniseries Salem’s Lot, died Tuesday in San Clemente, California at the age of 62, his daughter Savanah Kerwin announced on Facebook. A cause of death was not provided. Kerwin’s other TV credits included Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, Murder She Wrote, The New Lassie and the made-for-TV movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much, among others…
Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Tár, The Menu and Nope are all up for Original Screenplay trophies at the 75th annual Writers Guild Awards. Glass Onion, Top Gun: Maverick and Women Talking, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and She Said will face off against each other in the Adapted Screenplay category. In the documentary category, 2nd Chance, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, Last Flight Home, Moonage Daydream and ¡Viva Maestro! — none of which were recognized by the film Academy — earned nods. The winners will be revealed March 5. The full list of nominees can be found Awards.WGA.org…
(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — The suspect involved in the Monterey Park shooting had no known connection to any of the victims that were killed in the shooting, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Police also confirmed that a total of three firearms registered to the suspect were recovered by detectives — along with a motorcycle that belonged to the suspect that authorities believe was a possible alternate getaway vehicle.
“As of today, based on interviews, investigators have not been able to establish a connection between the suspect and any of the victims,” Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement following a press conference held on Wednesday evening. “The suspect was not married and was not romantically tied to any of the victims. According to witness accounts, the suspect has not frequented the location in the last five years.”
Three firearms registered to the suspect have so far been recovered by detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Homicide Bureau, authorities say.
“The murder weapon recovered at the Alhambra scene was identified as a Cobray model CM11-9 (also known as Mac-10),” police said in a statement. “The weapon was not registered in the state of California and was purchased by the suspect on February 9, 1999, in the city of Monterey Park. The weapon used by the suspect to commit suicide inside the white van was identified as a Norinco 7.62 X 25mm pistol. The rifle recovered from the suspect’s residence in Hemet is a Savage Arms .308 caliber bolt action rifle.”
Monterey Park police officers also recovered a motorcycle — just one block from where the shootings took place — that was registered to the suspect.
Authorities believe it was strategically placed on the 200 block of South Garfield Avenue in Monterey Park as an alternate getaway vehicle.
“Investigators determined the motorcycle was parked at that location sometime on Saturday, just prior to the mass murder. Investigators believe it was placed there by the suspect as an alternate getaway vehicle,” police said.
The suspect had no recent criminal history but records show that he was arrested 33 years ago in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm.
“If people believe they have information that can help us with a motive in this case, please make sure you contact investigators of our Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. A lot of rumors out there, a lot of people sharing stories, but again, we will only put out there information that we have verified through facts and evidence,” Sheriff Luna concluded at the press conference.
(NEW YORK) — Jury deliberations resume Thursday in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov, the Uzbek native who took inspiration from the Islamic State group and drove a truck down the West Side Highway bike path, killing eight on Halloween 2017.
The jury deliberated for an hour or so Wednesday and appeared befuddled.
The defense, which did not call any witnesses, conceded during opening statements that Saipov carried out the attack but challenged the government allegation he did it to become a full fledged member of ISIS. The defense said Saipov did not want to join the terror group, he wanted to die a martyr.
Prior to adjourning for the day the jury sent the judge a note with three questions:
– Is the defense contending Saipov committed the truck attack but was charged with the wrong crime?
– If Saipov went to Syria, trained with ISIS and came back with an ISIS card, would he have been charged with the same crime?
– Let’s say we find Saipov not guilty of the truck attack because he wanted to join ISIS. Would he be re-tried for a different crime?
The judge expressed concern the questions sounded like conversations and not based on evidence.
The judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys will spend part of the morning deciding how to respond once the court reconvenes at 9 a.m.
(NEW YORK) — There is a loneliness epidemic in the United States — and it experts told ABC News it may be triggering violence.
In California, there have been three shootings in as many days, tied to a perpetrator who may have exhibited signs of social isolation and/or violent behavior, according to authorities.
In Monterey Park, police documents revealed the 72-year-old suspect had been divorced from his wife since 2006, lived alone in Hemet — about 30 miles Southeast of Riverside — and was angry and resentful.
A former tenant and longtime acquaintance of the shooter, who wished to remain anonymous, told ABC News that he liked to dance but that he didn’t have many friends at either of the dance studios he allegedly targeted.
The suspect “distrusted everyone,” the acquaintance said, adding, “I wouldn’t say he was aggressive, but he just couldn’t get along well with people.”
In the Half Moon Bay shooting, the man accused of killing seven farmworkers had a history of making threats after losing his job at a restaurant, according to ABC News local affiliate KGO-TV.
According to court documents, a former coworker and roommate filed a restraining order against the suspect after he allegedly threatened to kill him. The suspect allegedly tried to suffocate him by putting a pillow over his face if he didn’t help the suspect get his job back.
Experts said although there is not a lot of research on isolation, there appears to be a link between loneliness and violence, experts said.
“Clearly isolation and loneliness are at play in a lot of violence,” Dr. Edwin Fisher, a psychologist and professor in the department of health behavior at Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, told ABC News. “They may be important red flags for us to recognize and trying to help people who are prone to violence.”
Fisher said there are many types of violence that social isolation and loneliness are related to, including sexually soliciting minors online, intimate partner violence, cyber bullying — and homicide.
“Grievance and perception of self as a victim, I think both of those are present in the mass murders in California these past few days,” he said. “So, in addition to being socially isolated and feeling lonely, feeling grievance, feeling victimized, I’m going to finally pay them back, may be really important in some kinds of violence.”
Loneliness epidemic among men
Loneliness perpetrating violence may be affecting American men more than women due to males suffering a “friendship recession.”
According to data from the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life in 2021, the percentage of men reporting at least six close friends declined by half from 55% in 1990 to 27% in 2021.
The percentage of men reporting no close friends rose five-fold from 3% in 1990 to 15% in 2021. What’s more, one in five single men say they don’t have any close friends.
On the other hand, women are much more likely to report having close friends and relying on those friends for emotional support, the survey found.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men had a suicide rate four times higher than women in 2020. Men make up 49% of the U.S. population but nearly 80% of suicides, CDC data shows.
“One could speculate that there’s something that ties male loneliness to violence,” Dr. Nathaniel Glasser, a research fellow and clinical instructor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, told ABC News. “That in situations where boys and men feel loneliness, they — not always, but occasionally, arguably too frequently — turn to violent mechanisms to reconcile or cope or otherwise deal with their loneliness.”
Glasser pointed to ads from a firearm manufacturer for an assault rifle, one of which read, “consider your man card reissued.”
“That’s exactly the language that some gun manufacturers use — or have used — to speak to men, saying that guns are a way for males trying to reclaim some kind of image of masculinity to do so,” he added.
Dr. Elizabeth Tung, a social epidemiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, agreed.
“There is just so much speculation, but I think there’s also like this threat of societal emasculation and men who are lonely and emasculated trying to recapture their masculinity in some ways,” she told ABC News.
Experts, such as Dr. Niobe Way, believe the rise of male loneliness may be a factor in the rise of violence.
Way, a professor of developmental psychology at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, has studied boys through adolescence. She said when they’re younger, around age 12 or 13, they talk about wanting close friendships and emotional intimacy.
However, as they get older and start experiencing expectations of traditional masculinity, “they start disconnecting form their desires and feeling much more isolated,” she told ABC News.
“The disconnection, the loss that no one seems to care that our boys are feeling isolated,” Way, author of Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection, said. “They start to disconnect from their own humanity because they’re not able to find the relationships they want, and many are depressed and angry about it.”
Violence also leading to loneliness
Tung said the opposite can be true as well, meaning being exposed to violence can also lead to loneliness.
A study she co-authored in 2019 found that adults living in Chicago neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime are more likely to be lonely than the average American.
“We found was that there’s a really strong relationship between any kind of exposure to violence, whether it’s direct or indirect police violence, community violence, and being more isolated, as well as being lonelier,” she told ABC News. “It’s interesting, because the state of isolation and loneliness in the U.S. is already much higher than it was 50 years ago … and so the fact that violence exposure is associated with an even greater augmentation of that statistic is pretty alarming.”
In this case, the theory is that community violence increases distrust and suspicion, leading to further isolation and loneliness.
Access to guns
This is all coupled with widespread access to guns in the United States, experts said.
A Pew Research Center survey in 2021 found that four in 10 adults in the U.S. live in a household with a gun, while 30% said they own a gun.
Federal data suggests gun sales have spiked, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, just 21 states and the District of Columbia require background checks on sales of some or all types of firearms, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Fisher said he is currently writing a chapter on social isolation and loneliness for the American Psychological Association, and one of the findings show the importance of gun control.
“One of the findings of the chapter is how global the research is studies from Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, all over the world, social isolation and loneliness are problems,” he said. “Only in the United States are they leading to many mass murders.”
Solving the problem
So how do we combat the problem of loneliness? The experts say there are a few ideas.
“There’s a lot of research about really pushing this idea of social prescribing,” said Tung. “Helping older people make more social connections, we can prescribe like somebody going to a senior center and joining some kind of community activity.”
“But there is a broader cultural thing going on, especially with technology, and if more and more people are spending all of their time connecting through technology rather than in person, I worry that the idea of social prescribing or health care prescriptions for social activities is a little too simplistic,” Tung added.
There’s also making sure that people are having robust and varied social interactions that might help pump the brakes on exhibitions of violent behavior, experts said.
“So, when we’re talking about people who are isolated, we want to try to be thinking in terms of encouraging varied social connections, and healthy social connections, if you will, as opposed to the community of, you know, child abusers that they’re connected with on the web,” Fisher said.
He also added that being kind can be just as important as a long talk.
“A really important point is that social connection does not necessarily need to be, deep, intimate conversations over hours and hours,” he said. “Casual contacts can be very important in just making us feel connected. So, if you see people who seem to be lonely, who seem perhaps a little bit brittle or disgruntled, kind words can do a lot. It’s far from a solution, but it helps.”
(DUXBURY, Mass.) — A Massachusetts woman is facing charges in the deaths of her two young children and the injury of her baby, authorities said Wednesday.
Police received a 911 call on Tuesday evening, just after 6 p.m. ET, from a man who said his wife had attempted suicide by jumping out of a window at their house in Duxbury, a small seaside town about 30 miles south of Boston. First responders rushed to the home and located the woman, identified as 32-year-old Lindsay Clancy, whom they treated on scene before transporting her to a Boston hospital, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz. Her condition was unknown.
First responders subsequently found three young children inside the home who were “unconscious with obvious signs of severe trauma,” Cruz said. A 5-year-old girl, identified as Cora Clancy, and a 3-year-old boy, identified as Dawson Clancy, were both transported to a hospital in nearby Plymouth, where they were pronounced dead. A 7-month-old boy, who was not named, was flown to a Boston hospital for treatment, according to Cruz. The infant’s condition was unknown.
Massachusetts’ Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the causes of deaths.
“Preliminarily, it appears the children were strangled,” Cruz said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. “As soon as able, we will be arraigning her on the two charges of murder in the deaths of her children.”
Late Wednesday, the district attorney announced via Twitter that an arrest warrant had been issued for Lindsay Clancy for two counts of homicide as well as three counts each for strangulation and assault and battery with a deadly weapon for the deaths of Cora and Dawson Clancy. The mother is under police custody, according to Cruz.
The district attorney was asked by reporters during Wednesday’s press conference whether Lindsay Clancy had any known mental health issues.
“I’m not in a position to comment on mental health issues,” he replied. “However, I would say that everything is being looked at.”
Cruz reiterated that the investigation is “active and ongoing” by the Duxbury Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police, with investigators “working this case around the clock.”
He commended “the professionalism and the work” of the first responders.
“I’m sure many of them will not forget what they saw last evening,” he said “I think we should all be grateful to the men and women that put a uniform on that are willing do this difficult and challenging job.”
(NEW YORK) — Several Florida students say they plan to sue the state and Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s rejection of the Advanced Placement African American studies course in state schools.
“If he does not negotiate with the College Board to allow AP African American studies to be taught in classrooms across the state of Florida, these three young people will be the lead plaintiffs,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump at a Wednesday press conference.
The lawsuit is backed by Crump and attorney Craig Whisenhunt, who will be representing three AP honors high school students.
“I realized that I have not learned much about the history or culture of my people outside of my parents and close relatives,” one of the students involved in the legal action said at the press conference.
Another student at the press conference argued that DeSantis doesn’t have “the right to take this opportunity from thousands of students across the state.”
“There are many gaps in American history regarding the African American population,” a third student said. “The implementation of an AP African American History class could fill in those gaps.”
The governor’s office referred questions to the Florida Department of Education.
“This threat is nothing more than a meritless publicity stunt,” Florida Department of Education Communications Director Alex Lanfranconi said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday.
Last year, DeSantis signed the “Stop WOKE” Act into law, restricting race-related conversations and instruction in workplaces, schools and colleges. The law includes a ban on teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. A federal judge in Florida issued a temporary injunction in November against the act’s implementation in higher education, which is still being battled in court.
“We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy, we will not allow reality, facts and truth to become optional. We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die,” DeSantis said during his Jan. 3 inauguration.
In a letter obtained by ABC News, the state DOE rejected the course, calling it “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”
“If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the department will reopen the discussion,” a Florida DOE official previously told ABC News.
The state DOE said in the letter it was concerned with several topics in the course, including Black Queer studies, intersectionality and activism, Black feminist literary thought and the reparations movement.
At the Wednesday press conference on the potential lawsuit, several state legislators criticized DeSantis for his administration’s recent efforts to restrict education on race and diversity.
State Rep. Michele Rayner said that “critical race theory” has become a racist dog whistle used to wipe the stories of racial justice icons like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King from classrooms.
“You cannot say on Monday that you support Dr. King and on Wednesday refuse to tell his story,” Rayner said.
The course is currently being piloted in a small number of high schools across the country with plans to roll out the course for any high school that wants it in the 2024-2025 school year, the College Board said. The Advanced Placement Program will release the official framework for the AP African American Studies course on Feb. 1 in time for Black History Month, replacing the preliminary pilot course framework.
“The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result,” the College Board said in a Jan. 20 statement. “We will publicly release the updated course framework when it is completed and well before this class is widely available in American high schools. We look forward to bringing this rich and inspiring exploration of African-American history and culture to students across the country.”
The College Board has not clarified how the framework that will be released will differ from the framework being piloted or if any of the changes will be a direct response to Florida’s concerns about the course.
Lanfranconi of the Florida DOE said, “As Governor DeSantis said, African American History is American History, and we will not allow any organization to use an academic course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda. We look forward to reviewing the College Board’s changes and expect the removal of content on Critical Race Theory, Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality, and other topics that violate our laws.”
“The interdisciplinary course reaches into a variety of fields — literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography and science — to explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans,” read a College Board description of the course.
Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. tweeted Friday evening that the AP course was “filled with Critical Race Theory and other obvious violations of Florida law.”
“We proudly require the teaching of African American history. We do not accept woke indoctrination masquerading as education,” he continued.
The White House last week called Florida’s rejection of the AP African American history course “incomprehensible.”
“It is incomprehensible, that — to see that this is what this band or this block to be more specific, that DeSantis has put forward, if you think about the study of Black Americans, that is what he wants to block,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a Jan. 20 briefing.
(WASHINGTON) — Nearly 27% of all inmates held in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections were held past their release dates over a four-month period, according to a Justice Department report.
The Justice Department said in a report that between January and April 2022, 26.8% of the people, or 1,108 people, released from LDOC’s custody were held past their release dates. Twenty-four percent of the people were held for over 90 days past their release dates, and the median number of days over detained was 29, the report added. There were nearly 4,200 people in custody overall.
“LDOC is deliberately indifferent to the systemic over detention of people in its custody,” the Justice Department said.
The agency’s over detention violates the 14th amendment which guarantees people that are incarcerated in jail and prison not to be detained beyond their release dates, the Justice Department said.
“Our investigation uncovered evidence of systemic violations by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections that have resulted in the routine confinement of people far beyond the dates when they are legally entitled to be released. We are committed to taking action that will ensure that the civil rights of people held in Louisiana’s jails and prisons are protected. We stand ready to work with state officials to institute long overdue reforms,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in a press release on Wednesday.
This is costly, the Justice Department said.
“In just this four-month period, LDOC had to pay parish jails an estimated $850,000, at a minimum, in fees for the days those individuals were incarcerated beyond their lawful sentences. At that rate, this unconstitutional practice costs Louisiana over $2.5 million a year,” a release from the Justice Department says.
The DOJ said that LDOC has been on notice of the problem for 10 years but has done nothing to fix it.
LDOC has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
