Cassie Schirm

4 weeks ago | wdsu.com | Cassie Schirm

A former maintenance supervisor at the Orleans Justice Center is speaking publicly for the first time, raising concerns about how millions of taxpayer dollars allocated for jail repairs may have been managed over the years. The former longtime employee Charles Reed worked at the facility for more than a decade, he says routine maintenance and critical repairs were often delayed or incomplete—despite more than $50 million being allocated the jail from the city each year.

1 month ago | wdsu.com | Cassie Schirm

Ten inmates. One accused accomplice. A jail with a history of warnings. And now, a former insider says the man behind bars isn't the one who should be blamed. It was just after midnight when ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail. The breakout was bold, dangerous—and disturbingly simple. Authorities say they broke a toilet fixture, entered a maintenance pipe chase, and slipped into the night.

1 month ago | wdsu.com | Cassie Schirm

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office is now the focus of a multi-agency investigation — as questions mount over how millions of tax dollars are being spent and whether the public is getting a return on that investment. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor officially launched a full financial audit of the Sheriff’s Office this week.

1 month ago | wdsu.com | Cassie Schirm

Domestic violence continues to be one of the most urgent and complex public safety challenges in New Orleans. Each year, thousands of calls for help come from individuals facing violence in their own homes, situations that are often difficult to predict, respond to, or resolve. A devastating tragedy that took the lives of three young children has renewed the city’s focus on how to better support victims and strengthen responses to domestic violence.

1 month ago | wdsu.com | Cassie Schirm

A courtroom is often seen as a place of judgment, but in New Orleans, one judge is working to turn it into a place of healing. Judge Simone Levine, who presides over Section A of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, is focusing on a trauma-informed approach to justice, one that centers empathy, safety and trust. WDSU Investigates got an exclusive look inside her courtroom, where traditional practices are being reimagined to better serve victims, defendants, and the community at large.