Hurricane Katrina caused significant turmoil in New Orleans, particularly affecting the criminal justice system. Thousands of incarcerated individuals were displaced, complicating efforts to track their whereabouts. The public defender's office struggled to locate clients due to incomplete records following the storm. Many public defenders worked part-time and met clients only during court appearances, often weeks after their arrests. The chaos of Katrina revealed long-standing issues within the system and spurred changes. Meghan Garvey, who began her legal career during this crisis, highlights how the storm influenced her decision to become a public defender.
"There were people being moved around to different sorts of jails and prisons around the state. They kept moving people here and there," Garvey recalled recently.
At the time, estimates show New Orleans housed 6,000 to 7,000 people in the local jail, more than any other city in the U.S.
Public defenders only worked part time and they didn't know who their clients were until their first court appearances, which could take place weeks or months after someone was arrested.
Hurricane Katrina created the emergency, but long-standing problems made the issues worse, exposing flaws in the city's criminal justice system.
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