New Orleans once locked up more of its residents than any other city in the country. But in recent years, religious leaders and the business community, along with advocates for racial justice, have come together to take steps toward reforming the criminal justice system.
This moment is important, but also precarious. While most residents agree that much more change is needed, they disagree on the best path. And in a city traumatized by gun violence, changes must be careful and deliberate; any perception that life has become less safe could shatter the reform movement.
The Atlantic gathered local policymakers, business executives, and nonprofit leaders to ask the question: How should New Orleans move forward?