CORRECTIONS/PRISONERS: Provides relative to the housing of inmates committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (OR NO IMPACT See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Edmond Jordan

HB 333 restricts state inmates’ housing to within 30 miles of the offense parish or the inmate’s home parish.

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

Purpose and intent

HB 333 aims to regulate where inmates committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) may be housed. The bill preserves current overall commitment to the DPS&C but imposes geographic constraints on housing locations, ensuring inmates are not housed more than 30 miles from specified communities.

Key provisions and changes

Retention of current commitment framework: The bill amends and reenacts R.S. 15:824(A) and adds a new R.S. 15:824(E). It continues to require that individuals committed to the state DPS&C be under the department’s custody rather than assigned to a specific facility, with the DPS&C secretary authorized to transfer inmates between facilities as appropriate for treatment, training, and security needs.

Geographic housing restriction (new limitation): The DPS&C shall not house an inmate more than 30 miles outside either:

The parish where the criminal offense occurred or where the inmate was convicted.
The parish where the inmate’s residence or domicile is located.

Scope: The restriction applies to the location of housing within the state’s prison system, effectively prioritizing proximity to the offense location or the inmate’s home parish.

Who/what is affected

Inmates under DPS&C custody: The primary impact is on where these inmates can be housed geographically, limiting placement options to within 30 miles of the offense/convenience parish or the inmate’s domicile parish.

DPS&C operations: The department must plan housing assignments within the 30-mile constraint, potentially affecting transfers, facility utilization, and local housing logistics.

Criminal justice stakeholders: Courts, prosecutors, defense counsel, and corrections administrators may need to consider housing proximity when advising on confinement options and parole or transfer planning.

Procedural/timeline aspects

Effective date and implementation: The bill’s text does not specify an effective date beyond standard legislative enactment. If enacted, the DPS&C would implement housing constraints consistent with R.S. 15:824(E) once the law takes effect.

Legislative status: Introduced by Rep. Jordan, with explicit co-sponsorship noted. Action history shows referral to the Administration of Criminal Justice committee and prior readings.

Practical implications

The 30-mile rule could reduce inmate dispersion across facilities and increase emphasis on local housing arrangements, potentially impacting facility capacity management, staffing needs, and transport planning.

In rural areas or sparsely populated regions, the geographic constraint might compress or complicate housing options, requiring careful logistical coordination.

Overall, HB 333 seeks to bind inmate housing to proximity-based criteria, aligning confinement locations with offense/domicile geography while maintaining the overarching commitment framework to the DPS&C.

Bill