Newell: Accountability, honesty, and speaking out is the only way things will change

WWL host Newell Normand said on his Wednesday show that progressive ideas about prosecution and incarceration of juvenile offenders has its place, but not the way New Orleans executes those ideas.

“I concede that when properly funded, done right, evidence-based, there are huge successes,” he said, “but you don’t get there by just putting a toe in the water. It doesn’t happen that way.”

Normand said that because of the confidentiality inherent in prosecuting juveniles, the city is effectively pulling the wool over the ideas of a public that doesn’t have enough information to make real decisions at the ballot box regarding prosecutors and judges.

“Stop BS-ing the public. Stop putting up the smokescreens. Stop deflecting. Stop evading. Stop denying. And understand that there’s a healthy balance that has to occur here,” he said.

To hear the full segment, click on the link above.