ORLEANS PARISH PRISON, NEW ORLEANS (by FerdieWerdie Gazette) — Here is the link: OPP Prison Video that this week has rocked the career of Sheriff Marlin Gusman of New Orleans. His prison has been voted the worst prison in America. Gusman was in court on Thursday (at a Federal decree hearing) insanely seeking more money for the embattled jail. However, before Thursday’s decree hearing, he had been ducking and hiding from questions about the video since it was made public on Tuesday April 2. He had it locked away in a vault at the prison until the news media sued to have it made public. Gusman was mum until the hearing. His tight lips and media-dodging moves have the public wondering if his career can survive the horrific video. He said that he would answer questions at the hearing.
In the video, inmates can be seen gambling at Orleans Parish Prison, shooting drugs, carrying a gun in the prison and wandering Bourbon Street.
UPDATE (WDSU News) — When asked if he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right, Gusman said he would not and that he would, in fact, testify in court.
Criminologist John Penny expects Gusman’s testimony to be consistent with his many previous remarks on the jail’s status.
“He will say that the city has shirked its responsibility with furnishing them with the kinds of funding needed to run a top-flight prison system,” Penny said.
The city, which funds the jail, objects to the potential cost of the consent decree agreement. After the jaw-dropping videos were released on Tuesday, Mayor Mitch Landrieu is urging that the federal government appoint someone other than Gusman to run the lockup.