Federal judge: Louisiana must move kids out of Angola state prison

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A federal judge on Friday, Sept. 8, ruled that the state of Louisiana can't keep minors at Angola.

Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick ordered the state to remove minors being held at Louisiana State Penitentiary by Friday, Sept. 15. The Office of Juvenile Justice has been holding juveniles in the former death row facility.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and the OJJ announced last year that minors would be held at Angola because of housing and security needs.

Lawyers for the teens, including the ACLU, filed a motion in July alleging unconstitutional and inhumane conditions.

According to an emergency filing by the ACLU, minors were punished by being:

• put in solitary.
• kept in cells for more than 23 hours a day.
• kept handcuffed and shackled when showering or during outside rec time.

Other concerns included using mace on the minors; withholding family time; and lack of staffing and support for mental health, social services and education or special education.

In a news release, the ACLU said Dick gave an oral ruling today and will provide a written one later.

“For almost 10 months, children — nearly all Black boys — have been held in abusive conditions of confinement at the former death row of Angola – the nation’s largest adult maximum security prison. We are grateful to our clients and their families for their bravery in speaking out and standing up against this cruelty," said David Utter, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.

“Now, it is time for Louisiana’s leaders to provide the appropriate care and support so all children can thrive and reach their full potential," he continued. "We demand investment in our children, not punishment. State officials must address the long-standing, systemic failures in Louisiana’s juvenile justice system. A state where all our children — Black, Brown, and white — have equal access to opportunity is possible."

The litigation team for the boys includes: ACLU’s National Prison Project, the ACLU of Louisiana, the Claiborne Firm and Fair Fight Initiative, the Southern Poverty Law Center and attorneys Chris Murell and David Shanies.

This story is breaking and will be updated.