LouisianaCaddo sheriff may monitor some defendants at home before trial
Caddo Parish's sheriff may place some defendants awaiting trial under electronic monitoring at home, if the sheriff, district attorney, and court approve.
What it does
The law lets the Caddo Parish sheriff use electronic monitoring at home for some defendants awaiting trial, if the sheriff, district attorney, and court approve their participation.
The sheriff sets rules for supervision, monitoring, and fees. Some participants must attend monthly mental health checks, and joining the program does not replace their bail obligations.
Officials must evaluate the program and report on its results. If the parish expands jail capacity in specified ways, new participants cannot join and the program ends as current participants leave.
A person harmed by a program participant can sue covered officials or partners only if they meet a demanding proof standard tied to serious program failures or misconduct.
Argument forSome defendants could stay at home before trial with electronic monitoring if officials approve them, instead of remaining in jail.
Argument againstSome participants could face limits on leaving home and pay supervision costs, while the sheriff and parish do not cover their housing, food, or medical care.
More detail
The Caddo Parish sheriff may run a home detention program with electronic monitoring for eligible defendants awaiting trial. The program is for defendants held before trial in Caddo Parish. A defendant cannot qualify if charged with a crime of violence or a sex offense. The sheriff must find the defendant likely to respond well and, with the district attorney and court, interview the defendant and assess risk. The sheriff, district attorney, and court must coordinate before approving participation. The court may bar or end participation at any time. The program may be implemented on or before January 1, 2027.
The sheriff must set program rules for supervision, monitoring, and fees and give participants written conditions to accept. Participants must receive written notice of their conditions and agree to them in writing. Rules may require curfews, home visits, limits on activities outside the home, employment, and a reasonable supervision fee. They must address eligibility and shared monitoring costs for defendants who cannot afford them; partial payment may be required from those able to pay part. If a risk assessment finds behavioral health factors tied to supervision or compliance risk, the sheriff must require monthly checks with a licensed mental health provider. Missing a check may end participation only if the failure was willful and services were available. Bail obligations remain in place.
Officials must evaluate the program and report on its results; the program must begin winding down after specified jail expansions. Reports go to specified legislative committees, state lawmakers representing Caddo Parish, and the Caddo Parish Commission. The evaluation must cover safety, effects on participants, likely effects on deterrence, costs, and other measures, and compare the program with traditional imprisonment. If a larger parish jail is built, opened, and occupied, or a new or renovated structure materially expands jail capacity, no new participants may join. Those already enrolled may continue, and the program ends when none remain. The report is due at least 30 days before the 2028 regular legislative session and by December 31 each year after that. The wind-down process must begin within 60 days after either specified jail expansion occurs.
The sheriff, parish officials, and participating partner organizations are protected from certain civil lawsuits over harm caused by a participant. This protection covers the sheriff and employees, the parish governing authority and its officials, and parties working with the program under a cooperative agreement. A person bringing a lawsuit must prove by clear and convincing evidence that proper program administration would have prevented the harm and that a participant was allowed to join or stay despite a material violation, or that an administrator's gross negligence or intentional act substantially caused the harm.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 9Signed by the Governor Jeff Landry. Becomes Act No. 784.Became Law
- Jun 9Effective date: See Act.
- Jun 4Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- Jun 1Conference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 93, nays 0. The Conference Committee Report was adopted.
- Vote recorded ADOPT (#1637). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded ADOPT CONFERENCE REPORT (#1833). Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 1Notice House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
- Jun 1Conference Committee Report read; adopted by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.
- Jun 1Notice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
- Jun 1Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- Jun 1Signed by the President of the Senate on 6/2/2026.
- May 31Conference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.
- May 31Scheduled for floor debate on 06/01/2026.
- May 29Read by title, roll called, yeas 99, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.
- Vote recorded REJECT SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1665). Result: pass.Lower
- May 29Notice House rejected the Senate amendments.
- May 29House conferees appointed: Jackson, Villio, and Amedee.
- May 29Senate conference committee members appointed: Jenkins, Morris, and Boudreaux.
- May 29Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.
- May 29Notice of Senate conferees appointed.
- May 27Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1362). Result: pass.Upper
- May 26Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- May 26Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 13Rules suspended.
- May 13Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
- May 7Reported with Legislative Bureau amendments which were read and adopted. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 6Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 5Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.Minor
- Apr 28Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.Minor
- Apr 27Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- Apr 22Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 90, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#644). Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Scheduled for floor debate on 04/22/2026.
- Apr 16Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- Apr 15Reported with amendments (11-0).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Minor
- Feb 13Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 13Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Minor
- Feb 13First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/13/2026.Introduced
Criminal Justice