A federal judge ordered the Department of Corrections to rectify the unconstitutional medical care of inmates at Angola. Attorney Samantha Bosalavage with The Promise of Justice Initiative said they along with Democracy Forward have been working on the case for almost a decade.
“The federal court’s order is straightforward, the medical care provided by the state at Angola is abhorrent, cruel and unusual punishment,” said Bosalavage.
Judge Shelly Dick of the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana issued the ruling on Monday. Bosalavage said the state is legally required to implement remedial plans for the medical care of inmates and the Americans with Disabilities Act deficiencies at the prison.
“We will continue to hold the state accountable and for however long it takes to protect the rights of every class member and we hope this will happen very soon,” said Bosalavage.
Over the course of the litigation, Bosalavage said the eight named plaintiffs in the suit died due to inadequate medical care. And while the ruling directly those incarcerated at the state penitentiary…
“It also signals that the state can’t violate the constitutional rights of any of the members of the State of Louisiana,” said Bosalavage.
In a 60-person sample that was assessed for a remedy stage in June of 2022, Bosalavage said experts found many preventable deaths among inmates.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections provided the statement below:
The Louisiana Department of Corrections (LDOC) strongly disagrees with the court’s opinion in this matter. This matter has been pending since 2015. During this entire time period, Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP) has continued to improve health care at the facility, has added qualified health care personnel, and has improved its facilities. As evidenced by the recent 2020 pandemic, LSP has managed the healthcare and treatment of its population efficiently and effectively when compared to the community in general. The court has refused to even consider current conditions at the facility in rendering its opinion. LDOC plans to appeal this ruling and based on all of these improvements believes that it will be reversed on appeal.
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