In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, incarcerated people at the New Orleans Parish Prison were left to fend for themselves as toxic water filled prison cells and deputies deserted en masse. Incarcerated people are often forgotten during disasters and young people in prison are particularly vulnerable. The Takeaway checks in on the how the aftermath of Hurricane Ida is affecting prisons in the New Orleans area, as hundreds of thousands of people are still without power.
The Takeaway talks to Gina Womack, co-founder and executive director of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children, about how the storm has impacted incarcerated youth in Louisiana.