NEW ORLEANS - Marylandian -- By LJPMedia
A growing wave of protests by inmates and advocates has swept through correctional facilities across the United States. The inmates are implementing labor and hunger strikes aimed at addressing systemic abuse and inhumane conditions. The strikes include Angola Prison in Louisiana. Angola inmates are calling for fundamental changes, with a list of urgent demands focused on clean water, quality food, medical care, an end to overcrowding, and the abolition of slave wages. Prisoners from other institutions, underscoring a nationwide movement for dignity and basic human rights behind bars, have echoed these demands as well and have launched a historic labor strike to demand an end to the inhumane conditions they endure starting Tuesday October 8, 2024, at 6am. These inmates are calling on national organizations, including those spearheading reforms, such as the initiative referenced in the article "Justice Department Making Historic Investment in Prison and Jail Reform," to step in and enforce the much-needed changes that local officials have consistently ignored. Angola prisoners are now urging the Justice Department, local authorities, and civil rights organizations to intervene, and expose how these critical issues continue to be swept under the rug by state officials.

Department of Justice Findings – A Broader Crisis in America's Prison System

In October of 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report following a lengthy investigation into Georgia's prisons that revealed violations of the Eighth Amendment, highlighting widespread violence, under staffing, and unsanitary conditions, similar to the horrors experienced currently by the inmates at Angola Prison. "Our findings report lays bare the horrific and inhumane conditions that people are confined to inside Georgia's state prison system," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Inmates in Georgia facilities endure physical assaults, sexual assault, and extreme neglect, reflecting a broader crisis in America's prison system that called for immediate action. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-unconstitutional-conditions-georgia-prisons

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Angola- The former slave plantation turned Louisiana State Penitentiary

Angola inmates' urgent demands reflect the DOJ's Georgia findings as well, with a clear focus on ending inhumane conditions. The demand for clean water is vital, as contaminated water from lead pipes poses a significant health risk. Equally, the call for quality food highlights unacceptable kitchen conditions where spoiled and inedible meals are the norm. Furthermore, inmates are calling for proper medical and dental care, given the failure of prison staff to address chronic illnesses and infections. The demands also include repairing electrical systems, installing air conditioning, and addressing the gross overcrowding that places individuals in dangerous, unsanitary environments.

Slave Labor

Prison labor has also become a central issue, with Angola inmates decrying the slave wages that pay them as little as 3 cents per hour for grueling work. This is a violation of human dignity, and the movement seeks to end this form of modern-day slavery, which persists in prisons across the country.

The labor strikes are not isolated to Louisiana. Organizations and Inmates from various states are joining forces and building solidarity with incarcerated individuals across the nation. They are using their collective voices to call for systemic change. An additional ally in the cause for reform is John "Mac" Gaskins, chairman of the Peoples Defense Network. Gaskins is a long time politicized prisoner, jailhouse lawyer, and activist from the D.C. area. Currently, Gaskins is incarcerated in the Keen Mountain Correctional Facility in Virginia.

In this broader context, the Angola strike reflects a national outcry against a broken system that relegates inmates to environments of fear, filth, and neglect. United in their demands, prisoners are asserting their right to humane treatment and striving for a system that offers rehabilitation rather than perpetuating cruelty.

The time has come for state and federal authorities, alongside the broader public, to heed the calls for reform and address the catastrophic conditions that violate the basic rights of incarcerated individuals across the country. The Angola strike is one of many that are backed by prison inmates nationwide and demands justice, dignity, and change. Consequentially, an inmate lawsuit is being filed against Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, that addresses the following demands.

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Demands of Angola Inmates:

• Clean Water* (Test for lead, provide safe drinking water)
• Quality Food* (End unsafe, unsanitary kitchen practices)
• Medical & Dental Health Care* (Address chronic and severe medical issues)
• Air Conditioning in all dorms
• Repair of electricity and generators
• End inhumane living conditions*
• No more overcrowding
• End curfews (Restore 24-hour access for life-sentenced inmates)
• Retroactive new trials for inmates with 10-2 jury verdicts
• No more field work
• End slave wages* (Provide fair compensation for labor)
• EPA and Internal Affairs investigation

The movement for justice, led by multiple prisons along with Angola inmates, seeks to gain notable traction, with influential figures like Corey Miller, also known as C-Murder, advocating for change. Miller, a respected figure in the New Orleans community and prison, stands in solidarity with PURPLE UNION an organization whose mission is to be a voice for those unheard, mistreated and denied their natural rights while incarcerated. The inmates are committed to working alongside wardens to foster better communication between inmates and prison staff. Millers goal is to ease tensions, encourage dialogue, and support the much-needed reforms within the prison system.

As this movement continues to grow, gaining support from other prisons and advocates nationwide, the fight for basic human rights at Angola highlights the broader need to address systemic abuses across all correctional facilities. Additionally, Miller, separately will be pushing for the retroactive application of the 10-2 jury verdict law, which would impact around 500 remaining inmates, including himself. Furthermore, they are calling on the public to join efforts in banning the death penalty, which was previously halted for 14 years but has recently been reinstated, as well as opposing enhanced sentencing laws in Louisiana. These laws, often disproportionately applied to Black individuals, result in excessive sentences, and contribute to the over-incarceration crisis in the state.