The state of Louisiana is taking stiff measures on crime by adding additional methods of capital punishment, strengthening parole guidelines, and instituting constitutional carry for firearms.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed eleven bills on Tuesday in the aftermath of a special legislative session on crime. Among the bills Landry signed are a bill restoring electrocution as a method of execution and adding nitrogen hypoxia as an additional method of capital punishment.
Louisiana last used the electric chair in 1991, before eliminating it in favor of lethal injection. However, because of challenges to Louisiana’s lethal injection protocol and difficulties acquiring the required drugs, Louisiana has been unable to carry out the executions of the 58 people currently on death row. The additional methods are intended to offer authorities new avenues of fulfilling “contractual obligations” to the families of victims.
In addition to expanding the number of execution methods, Landy also signed bills which impose more stringent requirements on convicted criminals serving their sentences in Louisiana. Inmates’ eligibility for parole is restricted and the amount of time that can be reduced from sentences for good behavior has also been reduced.
Along with equipping Louisiana’s Department of Corrections with additional tools for ensuring those convicted in Louisiana face the full weight of their sentences, Landry also gave Louisianans increased opportunities to practice their right to self-defense. Residents of Louisiana over 18-years-old can concealed-carry firearms without a permit starting on July 4.
Louisiana’s significant rates of violent crime prompted the special legislative session and the subsequent bills signed by Landry. Various studies have ranked Louisiana and its cities as some of the most dangerous in the union in regard to violent crime, with Wallethub in particular ranking Louisiana as the most dangerous state.
As the New York Times reported in February, 2021, Louisiana held the highest murder rate in the United States for 31 straight years. With the legislation passed during the special session, Louisiana looks to shed that infamous distinction.