Help Reconnect Evacuated Prisoners With Their Lawyers

Thousands of prisoners, both DOC and pre-trial, have been evacuated from the New Orleans are to various facilities throughout the State. The bureaucracies are at work to set this all straight, but in the meantime there are many of our clients who are afraid, don’t know if their families are safe, don’t know if anyone knows where they are, and don’t have a clue how or when they will be able to contact their attorneys.

LACDL Board Member Phyllis Mann is spearheading our efforts to reconnect the prisoners and their lawyers. She needs our help.
Phyllis is asking that those of us who have a sufficient relationship with our local sheriff and/or wardens to go to them and try to get access with evacuees in their custody. Explain that we are creating a clearing house for lawyers to locate their clients and for inmates to locate their lawyers and families. Explain that allowing us to meet with the inmates will keep down unrest because the inmates will know that their lawyers are aware of their situation – that they are not lost.

Download an “inmate tracking form” Here. Complete a form for each inmate, using additional sheets if necessary for multiple charges/parishes. Until such time as a more permanent clearing house is established forward the information to Phyllis via email in .pdf, e-mail, or any form at:

Phyllis E. Mann
Post Office Box 705
Alexandria, LA 71309
(318) 448-0000
FAX (318) 448-2250
Cell (318) 729-3868
e-mail: phyllis@kricket.net

We will put it into a searchable database of some sort.

LACDL Board member Jim Boren is working with Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Kimball to try to get a formal order to the DOC, directing that we be granted access to the prisoners. In the meantime, we will just have to rely on our diplomatic skills to get this done.

Nonetheless, we need to coordinate our effort so that the sheriffs and wardens, and jailers don’t get confused by multiple requests.

Phyllis intends to begin meeting with inmates displaced to Rapides Parish on Tuesday.
Jim Boren is working to begin with inmates in EBR

Please check in and notify us via email either the list serve at lacdl@yahoogroups.com or e- or directly to me at ebrlaw@bellsouth.ne of the particular facility where you intend to try to contact inmates before you go. I will keep track of who has visited what facility and with what result.


If you know of inmates evacuated to your area and are wiling/able to assist in this effort please me us know via email at ebrlaw@bellsouth.net,