New Developments involving Children Housed in Infamous Prison in Louisiana

Jessica Washington
·1 min read
Vehicles enter the main security gate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary — Angola Prison, the largest high-security prison in the country in Angola, La., Aug. 5, 2008. In a federal court filing dated Monday, July 17, 2023, advocates said that juveniles held in a former death row building at the Louisiana prison for adults are suffering through dangerous heat and psychologically damaging isolation in their cells with little or no mental health care, inadequate schooling and foul water. In the filing, advocates asked a judge to order that the youths be moved.


Vehicles enter the main security gate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary — Angola Prison, the largest high-security prison in the country in Angola, La., Aug. 5, 2008. In a federal court filing dated Monday, July 17, 2023, advocates said that juveniles held in a former death row building at the Louisiana prison for adults are suffering through dangerous heat and psychologically damaging isolation in their cells with little or no mental health care, inadequate schooling and foul water. In the filing, advocates asked a judge to order that the youths be moved.

After significant out-cry from juvenile justice advocates, the children housed at the infamous Angola prison in Louisiana will now be removed. On Friday, Chief District Judge Shelly Dicks ordered the removal of the minors from the adult maximum-security prison by September 15th.

Judge Dick ruled that the living conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment, violated the 14th amendment and federal law protecting children with disabilities. Dozens of children were housed within the former death row unit of Angola prison — a former slave plantation.

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