 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer More than 13,000 students — 33% of the total enrollment in the East Baton Rouge Parish public school district — missed class at least 10% of the year in 2024. Decades of research suggest those numbers of chronically absenteeism don't bode well when it comes to future criminal activity. Early intervention is seen as the most important factor in helping those kids stay out of trouble. Literacy struggles in elementary school, math difficulties in middle school and behavioral issues throughout grade school make it harder to manage the problem. Read about what's being done to improve students' attendance.
Voters last week resoundingly rejected a proposal for a new tax to fund the District Attorney's Office in East Baton Rouge Parish. Now, DA Hillar Moore is seeking other sources of money to help his overworked staff prosecute criminals. Read about where he is turning now.
Hundreds of people are behind bars in Louisiana whose convictions came on split-jury verdicts, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional in 2020. A bill being considered in the state Legislature would give those prisoners the chance to have their cases retried. Read about the debate surrounding the measure. | 
