by Fred Kammer, SJ

Katrina’s tenth anniversary (August 29^th) brings many important stories about levees, wetlands, demography, entrepreneurs, venture capital, corruption convictions, and resiliency.  JSRI’s interests and Gospel focus on the “least among us” cause us to examine in this issue what happened—or not—in terms of poverty, housing availability, and criminal justice.  Next month we focus on public schools, health care, and new immigrants.  The picture, like much of the past ten years, is a blend of good and bad, success and failure.

Poverty and Jobs.  In brief, the income gap has widened, and New Orleans ranks second in income inequality among 300 U.S. cities.[1]  Poverty is entrenched, and the percent of children living in poverty in New Orleans, 38% in 2005, has risen to 39%.[2]  The racial income divide continues growing: white median household income in metro New Orleans, on a par with households nationwide, grew by 22% between 2005 and 2013 to $60,553.  That was three times the 7% growth rate of black median households (to $25,102).[3]  The disparity in 2013 incomes between white and black households was 54%, compared to 40% nationally.[4]  This worsened despite $71 billion dollars received by the State of Louisiana for rebuilding.  Closely tied was the fact that employment rates for white men in metro New Orleans was 77%, compared with 57% for black men.

Photo Credit: Loyola University New Orleans

Criminal Justice.  Before Katrina, New Orleans led the nation and the world in incarceration—more than five times the national average in 2005.[12]  Since then, two consent decrees are forcing reform in the police department and the jail; an Inspector General’s office is holding criminal justice officials to account; our first independent Police Monitor was created; and constructing a new, smaller, and improved jail—holding two-thirds fewer people already—is the result of ongoing efforts by community members and local officials.[13]  Violent crime is actually down in New Orleans by 17% since 2004, but the decrease has been less than that of the nation at 21%.[14]  Innovation across the criminal justice system has started, but comprehensive cultural change needs strong leadership from city and system officials for years to come.[15]  Orleans Parish still incarcerates at a rate twice that of the nation.[16]