The now-closed 10-story city jail at 2735 Perdido St. was known for its harsh conditions and troubling practices. “That building carries something heavy.” The House of Detention. In the House of Detention, poor jail policy and management harmed incarcerated people, said Mary Howell, a civil-rights attorney known for defending New Orleanians injured or killed by law enforcement. “That building carries something heavy.”Holding cell, House of Detention. floods as levees break in 2005When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the House of Detention became a symbol of systematic failure.