Louisiana's incarcerated youth lose their holiday furloughs. Senators ask why.
Two Louisiana senators are raising questions about why Louisiana's youth prison system recently banned at-home visits for incarcerated minors for holidays including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day. 'There is part of being home for the holidays that is just a tradition. …. It seems very punitive,' Sen. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, said at a legislative hearing Tuesday. Since the end of last year, the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice has prohibited incarcerated minors and young adults entitled to regular home visits, called furloughs, from visiting their families during major holidays.
The reason: There were too many problems such as curfew violations and escapes. Parades and large family gatherings, in particular, have led to violations, Courtney Myers, assistant secretary of the Office of Juvenile Justice, told the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children.
The agency implemented a 'black out' on holiday visits, but young people granted furloughs are still allowed to go home right before or right after those dates, Myers said. People incarcerated in the state's juvenile prison system, who are typically age 13 to 21, are only granted home visits if their leave is approved by the head of the Office of Juvenile Justice, local district attorney and a judge. They must demonstrate good behavior and have made progress in their rehabilitation to qualify, according to a state policy put in place in 2023. Home visits can last from eight hours to 14 days. For some young people, they occur on a monthly basis. Parents and guardians must also participate in three family sessions with state staff before furloughs are granted.
The incarcerated youth must wear ankle monitors while at home and submit to drug screenings before and after the leave takes place, according to the policy. Jackson and Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, said they didn't think it was fair that every incarcerated youth on furlough should be denied holiday home visits because others have acted out.
Holiday furloughs should be used as incentives to encourage better behavior among incarcerated youth, they said.
'So you've been penalized for something someone else has done?' Barrow said. 'I really would ask [the Office to Juvenile Justice] to reconsider this.'
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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
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Authorities say the suspect, a 30-year-old man, had a history of mental health issues. New Orleans, Jan. 1 — At least 15 people are killed and dozens are injured after a U.S. citizen from Texas rams a vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians in the bustling French Quarter district at 3:15 a.m. on New Year's Day. The FBI identifies the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He is killed in a gunfight with police. Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 20, 2024 — At least five people are killed and more than 200 are injured when a car slams into a Christmas market in eastern Germany. Police arrest a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who supports Germany's far-right AfD party. Zhuhai, China, Nov. 11, 2024 — A 62-year-old driver rams his car into people exercising at a sports complex in southern China, killing 35. Authorities say the suspect was upset about his divorce. He pleads guilty to endangering public safety by dangerous means and is sentenced to death. Waukesha, Wis., Nov. 21, 2021 — Six people are killed and dozens injured when a man drives his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee. Darrell Brooks Jr., who drove into the crowd after getting into a fight with his ex-girlfriend, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release. London, Canada, June 6, 2021 — Four members of a Muslim family are killed when an attacker hits them with a pickup truck in the Ontario city. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls it 'a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred.' White nationalist Nathaniel Veltman is sentenced to life in prison. Toronto, April 23, 2018 — Alek Minassian, 25, drives a rental van into mostly female pedestrians on Yonge Street, the main thoroughfare in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 16. Minassian tells police he belongs to an online 'incel' community of sexually frustrated men. He is sentenced to life in prison. New York, Oct. 31, 2017 — Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic extremist from Uzbekistan, drives a pickup truck onto a popular New York City bike path, killing eight people. He is convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 10 life sentences plus 260 years in prison. Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 17, 2017 — A man rams a van into people on the crowded Las Ramblas boulevard, killing 14 and injuring others. The militant group Islamic State claims responsibility. Several members of the same extremist cell carry out a similar attack in the nearby resort town of Cambrils, killing one person. Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 12, 2017 — During a 'Unite the Right' rally, white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. drives his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one woman and injuring dozens of people. Fields is serving a life sentence for murder and hate crimes. London, June 19, 2017 — Darren Osborne, a man radicalized by far-right ideas, drives a van into worshipers outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, killing one man and injuring 15 people. He is sentenced to life in prison. London, June 3, 2017 — Three attackers drive a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in nearby Borough Market. Eight people are killed, and the attackers are shot dead by police. London, March 22, 2017 — Khalid Masood rams an SUV into people on Westminster Bridge, killing four, then fatally stabs a police officer guarding the Houses of Parliament. Masood is shot dead. Melbourne, Jan. 20, 2017 — Six people are killed and more than 30 injured when a car hits lunchtime crowds at a pedestrian mall in the Australian metropolis. James Gargasoulas is found to have been in a state of drug-induced psychosis and is sentenced to life in prison. Berlin, Dec. 19, 2016 — Anis Amri, a rejected asylum seeker from Tunisia, plows a hijacked truck into a Christmas market in the German capital, killing 13 people and injuring dozens. The attacker is killed days later in a shootout in Italy. Nice, France, July 14, 2016 — Tunisian-born French resident Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drives a rented truck along a packed seaside promenade in the French Riviera resort on the Bastille Day holiday, killing 86 people in the deadliest attack of its kind. He is killed by police. Eight other people are sentenced to prison for helping orchestrate the attack. Stillwater, Okla., Oct. 24, 2015 — A woman plows a car into a crowd at an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade, killing four people, including a toddler, and injuring many others. Adacia Chambers, who pleaded no contest to more than 40 felony charges, is serving four concurrent life sentences for the deaths. 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USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Why did Bryan Kohberger kill? Experts weigh in on mysterious Idaho killings
As temperatures dipped below zero degrees less than two weeks before Thanksgiving, six college students were cozy in their bedrooms, resting up before the week's classes at the University of Idaho. Creeping through the night, armed with a knife, Bryan Kohberger stalked them like helpless prey. Kohberger moved through the house almost silently. He started the killing on the third floor with 21-year-old best friends and roommates Madison Morgan and Kaylee Goncalves. Then he came across 20-year-old Xana Kernodle on a stairway and killed her. Then he went into her bedroom, finding and killing her boyfriend, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin. He left two others in the house alive. Since the moment the families of the young victims learned about their seemingly random murders, their biggest question was why. As Kohberger's sentencing approaches this week, USA TODAY is looking at the case and what could have possibly led a 28-year grad student with so much potential to butcher four people on one terrible night. Nearly three years after the killings and a few weeks following a plea agreement that Kohberger reached with prosecutors, the families are still asking that same question. Kohberger's plea agreement – like most – doesn't require him to explain his actions. But experts interviewed by USA TODAY agree that we can conclude a lot about Kohberger's motives based on the evidence and his history: He was bullied, he felt rage toward women, he fantasized about violence and ultimately, wanted power more than anything, they say. "A lot of killers feel powerless their whole lives and that's why killers become serial killers. Because for the first time they feel like an all-powerful god," said Rachel Toles, a clinical psychologist and criminal expert based in Greenville, South Carolina. "He wanted to feel powerful for once in his life." What happened the night of Nov. 13, 2022? Mogen, Goncalves, Kernodle and Chapin were found stabbed to death on Nov. 13, 2022, in a rental house in the quiet city of Moscow, Idaho, near the University of Idaho campus. DNA evidence, cell phone records and surveillance footage tied Kohberger to the stabbings, prosecutors said. Why did Bryan Kohberger become a killer? Kohberger's past tells us a lot about his motivations, experts say. During his childhood, he was isolated and bullied and eventually became addicted to heroin and struggled with his weight. At some point he was able to kick the heroin habit, lose weight and get lean, according to the 2025 book, "The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy." "He grew up kind of bullied, kind of ostracized and he decided to change his life ... and I think he started viewing himself as a possessor of power. Before he was someone without power and now he possesses it," said John Delatorre, a psychologist based in San Antonio, Texas, who works on criminal cases. Ultimately, "he viewed himself as someone who could take what he wanted whenever he wanted," Delatorre said. "I think what interested him was the idea that you could legitimately hold someone's life in your hands and take it away whenever you choose to do so." Toles added: "He probably also wanted revenge on a world that made him feel unwanted." Kohberger's past addiction, weight gain and loss, Toles said, also show that he "clearly felt empty his whole life" and may have been attracted to studying criminology at the University of Washington because it "gave him a language for his alienation." Kohberger seemed particularly interested in three killers: Ted Bundy, the BTK Killer and Elliot Rodger. Through them, he identified with a narrative arc that "rejection moves to resentment moves to obsession moves to control moves to violence moves to infamy," Toles said. "It's a storyline he could place himself in and one that made him feel more powerful instead of invisible," she said, adding that Kohberger may have thought: "Maybe I'm not a problem. Maybe I'm like them. Maybe I'm a predator." Kohberger likely felt the urge to kill for years, Delatorre said, relying on fantasies and stalking before he ultimately acted on it. "The idea of taking someone's life with a knife was probably something he was think about for quite some time, it just required a target," he said. "People don't snap. People brew, they fester. The negative emotionality is over a long period of time to get them to a breaking point to act out." What is happening with the case? Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty to the killings earlier this month after accepting a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid the death penalty and instead face four consecutive life sentences. The agreement also means he'll avoid a lengthy and highly publicized trial. He's scheduled to be officially sentenced on Wednesday, July 23. The families of the victims will be allowed to address the court at that time to talk about the impact of the crime and who their loved ones were. What have the victims' families said? Many of the victim family members were surprised by and upset with the plea agreement. "This is anything but justice," Steve Goncalves, the father of victim Kaylee Goncalves, told NewsNation's "Banfield." "We had an outsider come to our community, kill our kids in their sleep while they're getting a college education, doing everything that they should do, and we don't have the courage to hold him accountable," he said. Some family members felt the plea agreement was a good thing and avoided the pain of a trial and prolonged legal process. Kernodle's mother, Cara Northington, told Fox News: 'The death penalty would give him the opportunity to appeal and drag this horror story out for the rest of our lives." Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.
Time Business News
5 days ago
- Time Business News
The Risk We Normalize: How Everyday Distraction Drives Crashes, Costs and Claims
Distracted driving has become so widespread across American roads that it no longer registers as shocking behavior, it's simply routine. Yet behind this normalization lies a troubling trend. A new study from Gruber Law reveals just how entrenched distraction has become, and how insurers, policymakers, and personal injury attorneys are now racing to mitigate its far-reaching impact. According to recent national data, 3,308 people died as a result of distracted driving in 2022. This is more than a tragic uptick, it marks a 20 percent increase since 2020, a steep climb that parallels skyrocketing phone use and screen interactions behind the wheel. Cambridge Mobile Telemetrics reports that phone motion has jumped 21 percent and screen time by 23 percent. These subtle habits have led to 420,000 additional crashes and over $10 billion in economic damages. The financial toll is staggering, but the human cost is harder to quantify. Every 10 percent rise in distracted driving contributes to 420 preventable deaths and an additional $4 billion in losses. Even one moment of distraction, whether prompted by a text or touch-screen map, can irreversibly alter lives. And as this behavior becomes more normalized, public perception begins to soften in dangerous ways. State-by-state data underscores the reach of this issue. Phone interaction now occurs on 58 percent of trips nationwide. Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia top the list of states with the highest distracted driving rates, with similar rankings appearing in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. In 2021, pedestrian deaths hit a four-decade high with 7,485 lives lost, many due to distraction-induced collisions. While distracted driving affects all demographics, younger motorists appear most vulnerable. Drivers aged 16 to 24 are more likely to use handheld devices, with teen drivers showing the highest distraction rates in fatal crashes. Nearly four in ten high school students admit to texting or emailing behind the wheel within a 30-day period. Female drivers are also statistically more likely to use handheld phones, contributing to a growing segment of distraction-related incidents. The issue intensifies during holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas have proven to be peak times for phone use while driving. Weekday commutes also reveal higher rates of phone motion, often accompanied by multitasking routines like music control, grooming, or reaching for objects. Researchers compiled the ten most frequent distractions observed in recent collisions: Texting and emailing Phone calls Social media usage GPS interaction Eating or drinking Talking with passengers Adjusting audio settings Personal grooming Reaching for items Daydreaming or zoning out While the behaviors vary, the consequences often look the same: crashes, injuries, lawsuits, and insurance hikes. Legal responses have gained traction, with hands-free legislation showing measurable results. States with active laws saw phone motion drop by 13 percent within months of enactment. Michigan, for example, experienced a 12.8 percent reduction in distraction-related crashes following its 2023 policy change. By early 2025, 30 states are expected to have handheld bans in place. Still, enforcement and public education remain inconsistent. A CMT survey revealed that 40 percent of drivers in states with bans either misunderstood or weren't aware of their own laws. In states without bans, over half of respondents mistakenly believed such laws were in effect. This disconnect presents a challenge for lawmakers and advocates hoping to build broader awareness. Insurers are also adapting. Telematics technology allows providers to reward focused driving and penalize high-risk behavior. Early data shows a 25 percent reduction in distraction among drivers who opt in to usage-based insurance models. But distracted driving convictions remain costly, often leading to premium hikes or policy cancellation. Several organizations have stepped in to educate the public. The Kiefer Foundation, and regional competitions like Boston's Safest Driver offer community-based solutions to combat distraction. These campaigns aim to reframe driving habits, pushing back against the normalization of screen time behind the wheel. The study from Gruber Law sheds light on a growing legal frontier. As personal injury claims tied to distracted driving increase, attorneys are helping victims navigate an increasingly complex landscape. Insurance carriers, state legislatures, and advocacy groups are all responding, but whether those efforts will curb the cultural acceptance of distraction remains uncertain. What is clear is this: driving habits in the digital age must evolve. The cost of staying connected while on the road is now measured in lives, claims, and rising premiums. And unless focus is restored, distracted driving will remain one of the most overlooked safety crises of the modern era. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
