Statistics

In 2008 there were 197,574 crimes reported in Louisiana including 541 murders.

Louisiana by far is the worst state for lethal violence. Its per capita murder rate has led all states for 21 consecutive years (1989–2009) according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. The fact that Louisiana's incarceration has been the highest of any state for most of the last 20 years makes some criminologists wonder why the state's murder rate has remained the highest for the period.
Louisiana is also the only state with an average per capita murder rate during that period that's more than twice as high as the U.S. average per capita murder rate during that same period, Louisiana averaged 14.5 murders per 100,000, compared to the U.S. average of 6.9 murders per 100,000 from 1989 through 2009.

{|
|+ Louisiana murder rates per 100,000
|-
! Year
! Murder rate
! Year
! Murder rate
|-
| 1989
| 14.9
| 2000
| 12.5
|-
| 1990
| 17.2
| 2001
| 11.2
|-
| 1991
| 16.9
| 2002
| 13.2
|-
| 1992
| 17.4
| 2003
| 13.0
|-
| 1993
| 20.3
| 2004
| 12.7
|-
| 1994
| 19.8
| 2005
| 10.0
|-
| 1995
| 17.0
| 2006
| 13.1
|-
| 1996
| 17.5
| 2007
| 14.7
|-
| 1997
| 15.7
| 2008
| 12.3
|-
| 1998
| 12.8
| 2009
| 11.8
| 1999
| 10.7

Capital punishment laws

Capital punishment is legal in Louisiana.