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2015 HCR 82 to analyze the drivers of Louisiana’s incarceration rates, provide recommendations
to reduce incarceration, and use the cost savings to reinvest in areas that provide for continued
reduction in incarceration and recidivism rates. Based on this work, the committee proposed
Resolution 9, approved by the House of Delegates in January 2017. Additionally, the committee
hosted a CLE mini-summit event with members of the Task Force, including chair Sec. LeBlanc,
to discuss their recommendations and legislative bills drafted in accordance with Resolution 9. In
2019, the Committee hosted a summit to address the prevalence of mental illness experienced by
people who come into contact with the criminal justice system. More recently, the Committee
hosted a virtual Summit in 2022 on the same issue of mental health and criminal justice. The event
attracted a record attendance of judges, attorneys, and mental health professionals - most of whom
requested annual cross-trainings on the topic, which the committee plans to continue. In 2023, the
Committee is partnering with the Louisiana Mental Health Association to offer three sessions on
the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system and programs that divert people
with mental illness to community based treatment and resources. The sessions are worth both CLE
and CEU and presents a unique opportunity for the legal and mental health community to come
together to learn, cross-train, and collaborate - all of which were recommendations that came out
of the Committee’s 2022 Criminal Justice Summit last March.

Legal Services for Persons with Disabilities (LSPD) Committee, Co-Chairs Debra Weinberg
and Chris Edmonds
The LSPD Committee was established to provide members of the bench, bar, and the general
public with a greater understanding of the legal needs and rights of persons with disabilities, to
better meet the legal needs of persons with disabilities, and to increase the knowledge that persons
with disabilities have regarding their rights and resources. The Committee established the
Disabilities Assistance Network (DAN) to help connect attorneys able to provide representation
on areas of the law related to disabilities with the public or colleagues looking to make a referral.
Recently, Committee members have been updating the directory. The Committee also has several
ongoing education initiatives designed to educate members of the public, judges, and attorneys,
including trainings on social security appeals, special needs trusts, the recent legislative changes
involving Interdictions proceedings, and the newly recognized legal status alternative, Supportive
Decision Making. The LSPD Committee also collaborated with the Children’s Law and Language
Access Committees to provide interview skills trainings for the students of LSU. The Committee
plans to work on initiatives focused on improving court accessibility.

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