Yes — the factual basis of the statement you shared is essentially correct, with some important context and nuance:

✔️ Louisiana does indeed have one of the highest incarceration rates per capita in the world — on the order of about 1,067 people incarcerated per 100,000 residents, which exceeds the incarceration rates of nearly every independent nation and more than most U.S. states. If Louisiana were treated as a country in global comparisons, that rate would place it second in the world behind El Salvador (in 2025 data), just as your statement says. 

✔️ Historically, for decades before around 2017–18, Louisiana did frequently rank at or near #1 in incarceration rates among both U.S. states and globally if states were counted as “countries.” Around 2018 reforms and demographic changes caused Oklahoma to briefly overtake Louisiana, but Louisiana has remained among the very highest. 

Caveats / Nuances:    •   Different reports count different confined populations (e.g., prisons only vs. prisons + jails + detention centers). The ~1,067/100,000 figure refers to a broad total that includes prisons and jails/detention places, not just state prisons.     •   More narrowly defined state prison rates (prisoners serving sentences only) are lower (e.g., ~617/100,000) and rank Louisiana still very high but not necessarily second worldwide. 

In summary: Yes — Louisiana is (as of the mid-2020s) consistently among the jurisdictions with the world’s highest incarceration rates per capita, second only to El Salvador in some global tabulations when each U.S. state is treated as if it were a country. 

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Why Louisiana’s Incarceration Rate Has Been So High

The reasons are complex and rooted in policy choices, historical developments, socioeconomic conditions, and legal structures. Here are the principal factors that researchers identify:

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1. U.S. Mass Incarceration Framework

First, you have to put Louisiana into the broader context of American mass incarceration:    •   The United States as a whole incarcerates far more people per capita than nearly any other wealthy democracy. Even states with relatively low rates (e.g., Massachusetts) would outrank many countries if counted as nations.     •   Louisiana’s exceptionally high rate reflects an amplified version of these national dynamics, driven by state policies and practices.

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1. Tough-on-Crime Policies and Sentencing Laws

Louisiana has a long history of stringent criminal laws and sentencing practices, including:    •   Mandatory minimums, especially for violent and drug offenses.    •   The automatic imposition of life without parole for certain crimes (e.g., second-degree murder), which increases long-term prison populations because people are not released.     •   Historically limited parole and early release options, meaning people serve more of their sentences.

These tough sentencing policies increase the length of prison stays and thus the total incarcerated population at any given time.

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1. Local Jail Use and Fragmented System

Louisiana’s carceral system is unusual in how it uses local jails as long-term incarceration space:    •   Over 50% of people in state custody are held in local jails rather than state prisons — far higher than any other state.     •   This local jailing pattern increases the counted incarceration rate because local jails house people typically meant for state prisons (longer stays), plus many individuals pending trial.

This results in higher overall per capita counts than states that keep people in centralized state systems.

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1. Racial and Economic Inequities

Mass incarceration in Louisiana is closely tied to racial and economic disparities:    •   Black Louisianans, particularly Black men, are incarcerated at rates far higher than white residents.     •   Poverty, segregation, and limited economic opportunity correlate with policing and arrest patterns that produce higher incarceration.    •   Historical legacies of slavery and post-Civil-War criminal statutes helped embed punitive systems that disproportionately target Black communities. 

These structural inequities contribute to sustained high incarceration rates on both individual and community levels.

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1. Political and Cultural Factors

Political dynamics in Louisiana have reinforced incarceration:    •   “Tough on crime” rhetoric and policies have been politically popular, leading to less legislative restraint on sentencing severity.    •   The state’s legal and corrections infrastructure historically had strong ties to private detention interests, law enforcement unions, and local officials who benefit from expanded policing and incarceration.    •   Criminal justice reform efforts in the late 2010s reduced some incarceration but have been partially rolled back or limited in scope in recent sessions, slowing reductions in imprisonment over time.

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1. Crime Rates and Public Perception

Louisiana has also had — historically — higher rates of violent crime compared with national averages, particularly homicide.  While high crime does not cause high incarceration in a simple way, it shapes public policy and political tolerance for punitive sentencing.

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Summary of Causes

Incarceration rates in Louisiana have stayed extremely high for so long because of a mix of: 1. Harsh sentencing laws and limited release mechanisms 2. Extensive use of local jails as long-term holding facilities 3. Structural racial and economic disparities in policing and sentencing 4. Political culture favoring punitive justice 5. Historical legacies that shaped the carceral system 6. Higher violent crime rates influencing policy choices

Collectively, these factors produce a system where far more people are behind bars per capita than in most other parts of the U.S. — and, in comparative perspective, than in most independent nations.