Federal judge upholds order on heat protection for inmates on Louisiana prison farm

NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge on Thursday ordered Louisiana State Prison officials to provide more shade and take other measures to protect inmates who work in agriculture from dangerous heat.

The order by U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson affirmed a similar order he issued in July that cited photos showing inmates in the fields of a former slave plantation, in a single pop-up tent for about 20 men, with little protection from the sun and no seating. The photos were provided by Voice of the Experienced, the advocacy group that sued over conditions for inmates working on the “farm bracelet” at the massive Angola prison farm.

“On its face, plaintiffs' allegations in this matter have portrayed the State of Louisiana in a harsh and unflattering light. Defendants contribute to that portrayal by their apparent refusal to propose any meaningful changes to the conditions at Farm Line,” wrote Jackson of Baton Rouge.

A spokesman for the state Department of Corrections said officials would not comment until they had time to fully review Jackson's order.

Jackson's latest order said there were 50 cases of inmates calling in sick between July 2 and August 5, and seven of those required emergency treatment. He ordered that more tents be provided and placed near where inmates work. He also ordered that seating be provided and that workers be given 15-minute breaks every 45 minutes when heat alerts are declared.

State corrections officials appealed Jackson's original July 2 order. A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has softened some of the original order but left some key conditions in place while the appeals process is ongoing. As he did on July 2, Jackson refused to stop work on the farm during the heat warning.

The legal battle over working conditions on the farms comes amid growing national attention to lucrative prison labor systems with roots in the era of slavery. A two-year Associated Press investigation linked the supply chains of some of the world's largest and best-known companies – from Walmart to Burger King – to Angola and other prison farms where inmates earn pennies an hour or nothing at all. Several companies, including Cargill, have since said they have severed or are in the process of cutting ties with prison farms or companies that employ inmates.