Care Under Federal Oversight: Clinical and Systems Lessons from the New Orleans Justice Center Experience
Location
LSUHSC-NO
Publication Date
April 2026
Start Date
9-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
9-4-2026 2:00 PM
Description
Delivering high-quality psychiatric care in correctional settings presents unique clinical and systemic challenges, particularly within institutions operating under federal consent decrees. The New Orleans Justice Center (OJC) has been under such oversight since 2013 due to findings of inadequate medical and mental health care, including elevated risks of suicide and psychiatric deterioration. Within t his context, the Louisiana State University Health Science Center of New Orleans Department of Psychiatry was tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive correctional psychiatry program to assist in creating and sustaining compliance within ongoing federal oversight. We will focus on the clinical aspects of building and sustaining a jail-based mental health program under the constraints of a consent decree reviewing both short- and long-term strategies to bring the mental health component of OJC into compliance. Here, we identify critical institutional barriers to care through data collection and our process of implementing evidence-based practices to improve therapeutic alliances and culture. Finally, we will reflect on lessons learned in balancing clinical care, systems improvement, and compliance requirements, offering practical insights for clinicians and institutions working to improve mental health outcomes in correctional environments under federal oversight.
Recommended Citation
Karnes, Sara MD; Coleman, Chuck MD, D.F.A.P.A.; Thurber, Steven PhD, ABPP, ABAP; and Bailey, Rahn MD, D.F.A.P.A., "Care Under Federal Oversight: Clinical and Systems Lessons from the New Orleans Justice Center Experience" (2026). Dept. of Psychiatry Research Symposium. 9.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/psych_rd/2026/posters/9
Care Under Federal Oversight: Clinical and Systems Lessons from the New Orleans Justice Center Experience
LSUHSC-NO
Delivering high-quality psychiatric care in correctional settings presents unique clinical and systemic challenges, particularly within institutions operating under federal consent decrees. The New Orleans Justice Center (OJC) has been under such oversight since 2013 due to findings of inadequate medical and mental health care, including elevated risks of suicide and psychiatric deterioration. Within t his context, the Louisiana State University Health Science Center of New Orleans Department of Psychiatry was tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive correctional psychiatry program to assist in creating and sustaining compliance within ongoing federal oversight. We will focus on the clinical aspects of building and sustaining a jail-based mental health program under the constraints of a consent decree reviewing both short- and long-term strategies to bring the mental health component of OJC into compliance. Here, we identify critical institutional barriers to care through data collection and our process of implementing evidence-based practices to improve therapeutic alliances and culture. Finally, we will reflect on lessons learned in balancing clinical care, systems improvement, and compliance requirements, offering practical insights for clinicians and institutions working to improve mental health outcomes in correctional environments under federal oversight.