Louisiana Democrats Oppose Bill Ending Compensation for Wrongfully Convicted Prisoners
Louisiana’s existing wrongful conviction law, enacted in 2005, allows individuals to present their cases before a judge and receive financial compensation based on the years they were wrongfully incarcerated.
BATON ROUGE, La. — Democrats in Louisiana are strongly opposing a controversial Republican-led bill that would strip compensation rights from wrongfully convicted individuals, arguing it is a direct attack on justice and human dignity.
House Bill 101, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Jefferson, would repeal the state’s wrongful conviction compensation of $480,000 behind bars.
“First we steal their freedom, now we want to steal their future," said Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge. “This bill is state-sponsored cruelty."
Louisiana’s existing wrongful conviction law, enacted in 2005, allows individuals to present their cases before a judge and receive financial compensation based on the years they were wrongfully incarcerated.
Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill supports the repeal, blaming a rise in compensation claims on Orleans Parish's efforts to overturn wrongful convictions. However, Democrats and advocates argue that correcting injustice is not a burden — it’s a duty.
“This is not about money — this is about morality," said Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge. "You can't put a price on decades stolen, but we must offer a path to healing."
Innocence Project New Orleans Executive Director Jee Park said repealing the compensation statute would devastate the exoneree community. Most exonerees are released with no financial resources, facing severe trauma and economic hardship.
“To tell a man who spent 30 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit that he must now fight a nearly impossible federal lawsuit is unconscionable," Park said.
Supporters of House Bill 101 argue that exonerees could still pursue claims under the federal Civil Rights Act, specifically Section 1983. But opponents point out that winning federal lawsuits is extremely rare due to qualified immunity protecting government officials. Many wrongful convictions do not involve misconduct, making federal suits inaccessible.
Louisiana at Risk of National Shame
Thirty-nine states, including neighboring Texas and Mississippi, offer wrongful conviction compensation. If House Bill 101 passes, Louisiana would join a shrinking minority of states abandoning financial restitution for the wrongfully imprisoned.
"If Louisiana abandons its duty to compensate the innocent, we send a chilling message: that justice here is optional," said Jordan.
Democrats are vowing to continue fighting House Bill 101 as it moves to the full House for debate.
"We must decide who we are as a state," Marcelle said. "Do we stand for justice, or do we stand for cruelty?"
