Violent juvenile offenders can no longer be held at Angola facility, judge rules

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A federal judge has issued a ruling mandating the transfer of violent offenders currently held at Angola by Friday, September 15. The judge’s decision includes a ban on the detention of juveniles at the state penitentiary.

The legal battle to decide what to do with violent young inmates and whether or not they should stay in a facility at Angola started Tuesday, August 15.

In October of 2022, some of the state’s most violent juveniles were transferred to the modified old Death Row facility located on Angola’s campus due to ongoing security issues at the Bridge City Center for Youth in the New Orleans area and other juvenile facilities across Louisiana.

According to state officials, 15 youths were housed at Angola.

The federal judge’s decision comes in the wake of growing concerns about the conditions and treatment of young offenders at Angola.

Advocacy groups, led by the ACLU and other partners, alleged abusive conditions of confinement for teenagers at the facility. These allegations included claims of solitary confinement, exposure to excessive heat, and a lack of educational opportunities.

In response to the allegations, officials from the governor’s office pointed to information on the Office of Juvenile Justice’s website, attempting to debunk claims made by organizations like the ACLU. They clarified that the unit was air-conditioned, and juvenile inmates were not placed in solitary confinement.

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