Additional Coverage:
- As temperatures soar, judge tells Louisiana to help protect prisoners working in fields (newsbreak.com)
In the midst of soaring summer heat, a federal judge has mandated Louisiana to implement measures to safeguard incarcerated workers laboring on a historic slave plantation from significant risks of harm or death due to the conditions. The state has promptly filed an appeal against the ruling.
U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson, in his decision on Tuesday, ordered a temporary hold requiring the Louisiana Department of Corrections to devise a strategy within a week to better conditions for the inmates working on the agricultural plot at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, widely known as Angola.
Judge Jackson highlighted the pressing need for modifications in the rules concerning exposure to heat. He noted issues such as insufficient shade, limited rest periods, and a lack of essential provisions like sunscreen and medical evaluations for those particularly susceptible to heat. Nonetheless, Judge Jackson did not fulfill the plaintiffs’ request to completely cease agricultural operations when the heat index exceeds 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 degrees Celsius).
The directive has drawn attention amidst a broader national scrutiny of prison labor, a system deeply intertwined with historical slavery and now a multi-billion-dollar industry connected to major corporations by an Associated Press investigation over two years. Since these revelations, several companies, including Cargill, have declared their separation or ongoing disengagement from initiatives involving prison labor.
In the lawsuit initiated last year, several Black inmates at Angola and the New Orleans advocacy group, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), claim they endure cruel and extreme punishment and are forced to labor under brutal conditions. Armed guards oversee as they manually handle crops with primitive tools. Noncompliance or failure to meet work expectations can result in solitary confinement or other penalties, as stated in the disciplinary regulations.
As state temperatures climb, “addressing the heat issue in Louisiana is now a critical matter of survival,” says Judge Jackson in his 78-page decision, deeming the farm conditions perilous.
Lydia Wright from The Promise of Justice Initiative, representing the plaintiffs, praised the ruling. She remarked on the historic nature of the recognition of cruelty in these practices, noting the extensive physical and psychological damage inflicted over generations.
Meanwhile, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections expressed strong disapproval of the ruling, with spokesperson Ken Pastorick indicating an appeal has been lodged with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and mentioning the department’s ongoing review of the decision before making further comments.