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Clancy's commentary: N.O. jail oversight appointee resigns

Maynard made some progress, but suicides, violence and drugs continue to plague the jail.

NEW ORLEANS - The expert brought it to turn around New Orleans’ jail has resigned, leaving behind some progress, and some major problems.

Orleans Parish Prison has been under federal oversight for years. In some ways, Sheriff Marlin Gusman is sheriff in name only.

About a year and a half ago, federal Judge Lance Africk hired Gary Maynard, the former corrections chief in Maryland, to turn the troubled jail around. Maynard made some progress, but suicides, violence and drugs continue to plague the jail.

The New Orleans jail has been one of the nation’s worst for years. Judge Africk appointed Maynard as a compromise of sorts, stopping short of putting the jail in federal receivership.

The stop-gap solution clearly hasn’t worked. Now, it’s time for the court to consider the next obvious step: putting the jail in receivership.

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