News & Commentary

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten the lives of all Louisianans, people incarcerated in the state’s crowded prisons and jails remain among the most vulnerable to this disease.

Although we were not able to prevail against Oakdale’s egregious conditions in court, we're staying in the fight for justice until everyone is afforded the basic human rights and dignity they deserve. 

A new report proves that the degrading conditions in solitary confinement continue to harm people and communities.

Angola prison is home to horrific constitutional violations that threaten the health and welfare of people incarcerated in the facility.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Louisiana Department of Corrections for banning interviews with prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. 

In a victory for religious freedom, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals today sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and ruled that the state Department of Corrections’ (DOC) prohibition on dreadlocks violated the rights of their client, Christopher Ware.

U.S. District Judge Lance Africk has approved a settlement to end litigation over the fate of the Orleans Justice Center, known as Orleans Parish Prison (OPP). Operational control of the jail facilities will be ceded to a “compliance director,” who will be appointed in a joint effort between Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office, the U.S. Justice Department, and the MacArthur Justice Center, which represents the inmates in the suit.