Federal lawsuit over Farm Line conditions for Angola prisoners now a class-action case

A federal judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit filed by inmates of Angola prison concerning the conditions on the “Farm Line,” where prisoners perform agricultural labor. The lawsuit alleges that the Farm Line policies pose a substantial risk of heat-related injury and violate the Eighth Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Brian Jackson determined the plaintiffs met the requirements for a class-action suit, potentially opening the case to thousands of current and future Angola inmates.

The suit, brought by the advocacy group Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), claims prisoners are forced to work in extreme heat with inadequate protections, receiving little to no pay. The judge has already issued preliminary injunctions requiring the prison to improve heat safety measures, including providing shade, sunscreen, and monitoring heat indexes. The Department of Corrections initially raised the heat index threshold for implementing protective measures, but the judge subsequently lowered it back to 88 degrees.

The trial is scheduled to begin on February 3rd, where VOTE and the inmates will seek a permanent injunction mandating comprehensive heat-related safeguards for all Farm Line workers. The judge’s decision emphasizes the systemic nature of the harms and the efficiency of addressing them through a class-action approach.

(Source：Baton Rouge Advocate)