Sheriff Woodfork pledges jail turnaround
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On a recent night, Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork got a call that the New Orleans jail was short-staffed. She got up, put on a uniform and went to fill the gap herself.
Why it matters: Woodfork describes her first 100 days on the job as the beginning of a turnaround for a department struggling with staffing, safety, funding and dysfunctional facilities.
Zoom in: Woodfork replaced Susan Hutson as sheriff, whose tenure ended with an indictment for malfeasance.
- In the weeks since, Woodfork has instituted new policies, increased security sweeps and increased OPSO staffing levels.
- But problems remain, she admitted in a press conference Tuesday.
What she's saying: "Real leadership means being willing to acknowledge what has happened under our leadership during these first 100 days," she said.
- "We have dealt with serious incidents, including an in-custody death, fires inside our facility, mistaken releases, inmate-on-inmate assaults, assaults on deputies, and the recovery of contraband, makeshift weapons and employee arrests."
- The latest arrest was Monday night with an employee accused of bringing contraband into the jail.
Those "challenges," Woodfork said, are now used "to identify weaknesses that must be corrected."
Between the lines: Woodfork also made no secret of the department's need for additional resources to improve employee pay and tackle a maintenance backlog, which she acknowledged was a big ask as the city faces a significant financial crisis.
- OPSO is working with a budget that's less than about what it was five years ago, she said.
What we're watching: OPSO is due to open a new, mental health-focused wing of the Orleans Justice Center in the next few months — but it too requires staffing.
- OPSO's human resources team is reviewing between 50 and 60 job applicants, Woodfork said.
Go deeper: See Woodfork's first 100 days report, and the OPSO's most recent quarterly update.