One jumpsuit, one bedsheet, one toothbrush, and one tube of toothpaste: these are the only items guaranteed to the nearly 1,000 clients of the Orleans Public Defenders (OPD) who are locked inside New Orleans’ jails every day. Any remaining items that people need to maintain their health and dignity while incarcerated–from deodorant to shampoo to tampons–must be purchased at the commissary.

OPD represents the vast majority of the 20,000 people who go through New Orleans' criminal legal system every year, most of whom are low-income people of color. Our clients are assigned to us because they lack the financial resources to hire a private attorney. This also means that our clients often struggle to afford the life-sustaining items mentioned above--items that so many non-incarcerated people regularly take for granted.

Further, incarcerated clients who are released remain fettered by various expenses, even if they were never convicted of a single crime. Oftentimes, people who have been incarcerated lose their jobs, housing, and transportation as a result of their detention. Items that many non-incarcerated individuals purchase without any afterthought, from diapers to bus passes, may be completely unaffordable to our clients.

OPD typically assists clients with their needs through our Client Welfare Fund. Formed during the height of the pandemic, the Client Welfare Fund allows us to purchase items that, though simple, could end up meaning the world to our clients. Because of this significant need, however, the Client Welfare Fund is currently depleted. OPD’s summer law clerks and interns have launched this fundraiser to replenish it.

This is why we need your help.

Every dollar you donate is guaranteed to impact the lives of our currently incarcerated clients. For instance, $3 can purchase a bottle of shampoo, $5 can purchase a new pair of underwear, and $20 can purchase a complete hygiene set. Moreover, the Client Welfare Fund also assists clients with the necessary costs of getting back on track upon their release. For instance, $10 can purchase a uniform for work, $15 can purchase a weekly bus pass for traveling to court-mandated treatment centers, and $20 can purchase eyeglasses. Not only could your donation help maintain someone’s dignity in jail, it may even aid in keeping them away from jail altogether.

When the fundraiser closes, OPD's Deputy CAO & Communications Director Lindsey Hortenstine will directly withdraw the funds to OPD's operating bank account and manage disbursement and requests with OPD's attorneys, investigators, client advocates, and social workers.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and generosity.

In love and solidarity,

OPD Summer 2023 Law Clerks and Interns