Louisiana Jail Data

An automated scraper that collects inmate roster data from Louisiana parish jails and police departments using GitHub Actions.

Updates

April 24th, 2026: Updated to fix the encryption, to instead make it a cypher. This allows us to compare encrypted names / encrypted dates of birth across time. We also condensed the past 30+ days of downloads with the previous rosters. This gives us 7,000,000+ records.

What it does

Every day at 6:00 PM CST, the GitHub Actions workflow scrapes inmate roster tables from 72 Louisiana parish jails and police departments listed in links.csv. This includes 61 out of 64 parishes and 11 municipal jails. Scraped data is saved as a timestamped CSV in the downloads/ folder and committed to the repo. Sensitive fields (Name and DOB) are encrypted using RSA public-key encryption before being committed. If you need this information, please contact me at eappelson@laaclu.org.

Note

This data includes both those held pretrial and post-conviction. Additionally, historical rosters were scraped from here, and the resulting dataframe is saved in downloads as rosters.rds. Sensitive data is hashed.

Files

script.py: Scrapes all jails and encrypts sensitive columns before saving
encrypt.py: Encryption utility
decrypt.py: Decrypts CSVs locally using the private key
jail_scraper.r: Scrapes data from the past year saved here.
links.csv: List of 80 jail roster URLs with associated jail names
.github/workflows/main.yml: GitHub Actions workflow that runs the scraper

Warning

This code should NEVER be replicated or repurposed to scrape and track individuals held in jail. This project exists solely for research and accountability purposes. Do not misuse this code or data to monitor, target, or surveil incarcerated individuals.

Parish Breakdown

Last updated: 2026-07-28 02:08 UTC

Total inmates (latest scrape): 26,979 across 72 parishes/jails

Acadia Parish

Total: 174

Race	Count	%
White	99	56.9%
Black	74	42.5%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.6%

Allen Parish

Total: 122

Race	Count	%
White	77	63.1%
Black	41	33.6%
Unknown	2	1.6%
American Indian/Alaska Native	2	1.6%

Ascension Parish

Total: 506

Race	Count	%
Black	266	52.6%
White	204	40.3%
Unknown	32	6.3%
Asian/PacificIslander	4	0.8%

Assumption Parish

Total: 155

Race	Count	%
Unknown	87	56.1%
White	68	43.9%

Avoyelles Parish

Total: 352

Race	Count	%
Black	199	56.5%
White	150	42.6%
Unknown	3	0.9%

Beauregard Parish

Total: 174

Race	Count	%
White	118	67.8%
Black	56	32.2%

Bienville Parish

Total: 43

Race	Count	%
White	22	51.2%
Unknown	21	48.8%

Bogalusa Police Department

Total: 13

Race	Count	%
White	7	53.8%
Black	6	46.2%

Bossier City Police Department

Total: 55

Race	Count	%
Black	39	70.9%
White	16	29.1%

Bossier Parish

Total: 1,127

Race	Count	%
Black	637	56.5%
White	488	43.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.1%

Caddo Parish

Total: 1,711

Race	Count	%
Black	1,292	75.5%
White	394	23.0%
Unknown	25	1.5%

Calcasieu Parish

Total: 1,102

Race	Count	%
Black	611	55.4%
White	448	40.7%
Unknown	42	3.8%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.1%

Caldwell Parish

Total: 605

Race	Count	%
Black	385	63.6%
White	204	33.7%
American Indian/Alaska Native	15	2.5%
Unknown	1	0.2%

Cameron Parish

Total: 20

Race	Count	%
White	19	95.0%
Black	1	5.0%

Catahoula Parish

Total: 128

Race	Count	%
Black	90	70.3%
White	37	28.9%
Unknown	1	0.8%

Claiborne Parish

Total: 660

Race	Count	%
Black	411	62.3%
White	249	37.7%

Concordia Parish

Total: 809

Race	Count	%
White	458	56.6%
Black	351	43.4%

DeSoto Parish

Total: 115

Race	Count	%
Black	70	60.9%
White	44	38.3%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.9%

East Baton Rouge Parish

Total: 1,354

Race	Count	%
Black	1,056	78.0%
White	235	17.4%
Unknown	58	4.3%
Asian/PacificIslander	4	0.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.1%

East Feliciana Parish

Total: 279

Race	Count	%
Black	183	65.6%
White	94	33.7%
Asian/PacificIslander	2	0.7%

Evangeline Parish

Total: 152

Race	Count	%
Black	89	58.6%
White	62	40.8%
Unknown	1	0.7%

Franklin Parish

Total: 830

Race	Count	%
Black	550	66.3%
White	275	33.1%
Unknown	5	0.6%

Hammond Police Department

Total: 20

Race	Count	%
Black	13	65.0%
White	6	30.0%
Unknown	1	5.0%

Iberia Parish

Total: 470

Race	Count	%
Black	282	60.0%
White	177	37.7%
Unknown	5	1.1%
Asian/PacificIslander	5	1.1%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.2%

Iberville Parish

Total: 48

Race	Count	%
Black	30	62.5%
White	18	37.5%

Jackson Parish

Total: 1

Race	Count	%
Unknown	1	100.0%

Jefferson Davis Parish

Total: 162

Race	Count	%
White	84	51.9%
Black	75	46.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native	2	1.2%
Unknown	1	0.6%

Jefferson Parish

Total: 1,204

Race	Count	%
Black	776	64.5%
White	422	35.0%
Unknown	6	0.5%

Kinder Police Department

Total: 2

Race	Count	%
Black	1	50.0%
White	1	50.0%

LaSalle Parish

Total: 78

Race	Count	%
White	54	69.2%
Black	23	29.5%
Unknown	1	1.3%

Lafayette Parish

Total: 832

Race	Count	%
Black	548	65.9%
White	270	32.5%
Unknown	14	1.7%

Lafourche Parish

Total: 758

Race	Count	%
Black	389	51.3%
White	365	48.2%
American Indian/Alaska Native	3	0.4%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.1%

Leesville Police Department

Total: 3

Race	Count	%
White	2	66.7%
Black	1	33.3%

Lincoln Parish

Total: 365

Race	Count	%
Black	272	74.5%
White	90	24.7%
Unknown	3	0.8%

Livingston Parish

Total: 835

Race	Count	%
White	598	71.6%
Black	226	27.1%
Unknown	8	1.0%
Asian/PacificIslander	2	0.2%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.1%

Madison Parish

Total: 153

Race	Count	%
Black	122	79.7%
White	30	19.6%
Unknown	1	0.7%

Morehouse Parish

Total: 210

Race	Count	%
Black	154	73.3%
White	56	26.7%

Natchitoches Parish

Total: 184

Race	Count	%
Black	140	76.1%
White	41	22.3%
Unknown	3	1.6%

Oakdale Police Department

Total: 5

Race	Count	%
White	4	80.0%
Black	1	20.0%

Opelousas Police Department

Total: 1

Race	Count	%
African American	1	100.0%

Orleans Parish

Total: 1,380

Race	Count	%
Black	1,182	85.7%
White	174	12.6%
Unknown	21	1.5%
Asian/PacificIslander	3	0.2%

Ouachita Parish

Total: 1,347

Race	Count	%
Black	894	66.4%
White	436	32.4%
Unknown	17	1.3%

Plaquemines Parish

Total: 674

Race	Count	%
Black	442	65.6%
White	208	30.9%
Unknown	13	1.9%
Asian/PacificIslander	9	1.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native	2	0.3%

Pointe Coupee Parish

Total: 118

Race	Count	%
Black	73	61.9%
White	42	35.6%
Unknown	2	1.7%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.8%

Rapides Parish

Total: 1,049

Race	Count	%
Black	665	63.4%
White	367	35.0%
Unknown	15	1.4%
Asian/PacificIslander	2	0.2%

Red River Parish

Total: 41

Race	Count	%
Black	21	51.2%
White	19	46.3%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	2.4%

Richland Parish

Total: 712

Race	Count	%
Black	492	69.1%
White	211	29.6%
Unknown	6	0.8%
Asian/PacificIslander	3	0.4%

Sabine Parish

Total: 186

Race	Count	%
White	107	57.5%
Black	76	40.9%
Unknown	2	1.1%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.5%

Shreveport Police Department

Total: 36

Race	Count	%
Black	28	77.8%
White	8	22.2%

St. Bernard Parish

Total: 226

Race	Count	%
Black	133	58.8%
White	88	38.9%
Asian/PacificIslander	3	1.3%
Unknown	2	0.9%

St. Charles Parish

Total: 185

Race	Count	%
Unknown	106	57.3%
White	79	42.7%

St. Helena Parish

Total: 47

Race	Count	%
Black	33	70.2%
White	13	27.7%
Unknown	1	2.1%

St. James Parish

Total: 78

Race	Count	%
Black	65	83.3%
White	13	16.7%

St. John the Baptist Parish

Total: 220

Race	Count	%
Unknown	144	65.5%
White	76	34.5%

St. Landry Parish

Total: 129

Race	Count	%
Black	87	67.4%
White	40	31.0%
Unknown	2	1.6%

St. Martin Parish

Total: 213

Race	Count	%
Black	107	50.2%
White	98	46.0%
Unknown	8	3.8%

St. Mary Parish

Total: 289

Race	Count	%
Black	155	53.6%
White	133	46.0%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.3%

St. Tammany Parish

Total: 881

Race	Count	%
White	451	51.2%
Black	386	43.8%
Unknown	42	4.8%
American Indian/Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.1%

Sulphur Police Department

Total: 15

Race	Count	%
White	12	80.0%
Black	3	20.0%

Tangipahoa Parish

Total: 703

Race	Count	%
Black	461	65.6%
White	239	34.0%
Unknown	3	0.4%

Tensas Parish

Total: 558

Race	Count	%
Black	381	68.3%
White	165	29.6%
Unknown	12	2.2%

Terrebonne Parish

Total: 579

Race	Count	%
Black	317	54.7%
White	250	43.2%
American Indian/Alaska Native	12	2.1%

Vermillion Parish

Total: 120

Race	Count	%
White	61	50.8%
Black	56	46.7%
Unknown	2	1.7%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.8%

Vernon Parish

Total: 176

Race	Count	%
White	119	67.6%
Black	55	31.2%
Asian/PacificIslander	1	0.6%
Unknown	1	0.6%

Ville Platte Police Department

Total: 31

Race	Count	%
Black	18	58.1%
White	12	38.7%
Unknown	1	3.2%

Washington Parish

Total: 192

Race	Count	%
Black	102	53.1%
White	89	46.4%
Unknown	1	0.5%

Webster Parish

Total: 460

Race	Count	%
Black	247	53.7%
White	206	44.8%
Unknown	5	1.1%
Asian/PacificIslander	2	0.4%

West Baton Rouge Parish

Total: 133

Race	Count	%
Black	87	65.4%
White	41	30.8%
Unknown	3	2.3%
Asian/PacificIslander	2	1.5%

West Carroll Parish

Total: 28

Race	Count	%
White	22	78.6%
Black	6	21.4%

West Felician Parish

Total: 203

Race	Count	%
Black	131	64.5%
White	72	35.5%

Winn Parish

Total: 151

Race	Count	%
Black	76	50.3%
White	75	49.7%

Winnfield Police Department