Audit Finds Oversight of State's Prison Inmate Trusty Program Needs Improvement

The Department of Public Safety and Corrections needs to improve its oversight of the trusty programs at state correctional institutions to ensure only eligible inmates are given trusty status, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today. The performance audit examined the DPSC’s regulations, the correctional institutions’ individual policies, and Louisiana State Police policies governing trusties.

Trusties are minimum-security risk inmates who are given privileges not available to the general prison population, as well as job assignments that may involve working outside the institution without the constant, direct supervision of a corrections officer. Under state law, DPSC may enter into contracts for the use of inmate labor with any state department, board, commission, or agency. In fiscal year 2016, eight of the state’s nine correctional institutions had 24 such contracts with state and local governments totaling at least $3.9 million.

LSP also has trusties and houses them at the LSP Barracks. These trusties are assigned to work at the Governor’s Mansion, the State Capitol, and LSP facilities. Trusties at all state correctional institutions and the LSP Barracks either can be compensated for their work or can earn time off their sentences.

Auditors found that while some correctional institutions complied with DPSC policy for certain trusty levels, none of them fully complied with all requirements and some of the inmates given trusty status were not actually eligible for it.

In addition, auditors found that DPSC does not collect any information on trusties in its Corrections and Justice Unified Network (CAJUN) system. As a result, each correctional institution tracks inmate eligibility and loss of eligibility for the trusty program differently. That makes it difficult for DPSC to monitor whether the institutions are complying with the regulations that determine trusty eligibility.

Auditors also found that the Louisiana State Police had a departmental policy in place only for selecting trusties assigned to LSP Troops. No such policy was established for trusties assigned to the LSP Barracks. Instead, Barracks staff used an internal screening process to select trusties, which was different from the LSP’s departmental policy.