A federal judge is considering a preliminary injunction that would block Farm Line operations at Angola Prison during times of extreme heat that reach or exceed 88 degrees. Director of Civil Litigation at the Promise of Justice Lydia Wright…
“We know that what’s happening right now at Angola is cruel and unusual punishment. We know that men are being forced to work in the fields with their bare hands, without proper PPE, without shade, without sunscreen, without clean water. Under threat of serious harm.”
Plaintiff Ronald Marshall says the brutality of the Angola Farm Line isn’t a secret and refusing to work would result in solitary confinement.
“I can tell you myself, as a former incarcerated man who spent twenty five years in DOC we never got a break in the field. We worked day in and day out.”
The LDC says quote Contrary to plaintiffs’ unsupported allegations, the heat policy…includes monitoring of temperatures every two hours, issuing heat alerts if the heat index exceeds 88 degrees, and providing rest and water breaks every 30 minutes once a heat alert is issued. This policy, and the operation of the Farm Line, is constitutionally appropriate unquote.
Wright says the only solution is to stop the Farm Line during those hot months.
“As it gets hotter this summer we look forward to collecting our evidence and having our day in court and we hope to see you all September 30th for our trial.”
According to the filing, the officers who oversee the Farm Line used to ride horses, but no longer do. Prisoners contend that the practice was ended in order to protect the horses from the “blistering” heat.
Comments