‘Torturous’: Judge places solitary confinement and mental health care at David Wade prison under federal oversight
The north Louisiana prison was using solitary confinement as a “depository for the mentally ill,” judge had ruled.
Category
News
Timely coverage of the people, policies, and events shaping New Orleans and Louisiana. This category delivers clear, factual reporting that keeps readers informed about local government, community issues, and stories that matter most to everyday residents.
‘Robbed’ Kennedy High School grads get their day in court
Judge certifies Kennedy High School 2019 and 2020 seniors for class action, five years after graduation scandal
15k Louisianans lose food stamps due to reinstated federal work requirements
Thousands more will likely lose benefits starting this fall, due to a new Louisiana law that bars state officials from doing what they’ve done for over 25 years – asking for waivers of federal work requirements in parishes with high unemployment.
Fifth Circuit appeals court sides with Angola’s Farm Line workers
Though the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals differed with some of the district court’s July 2 decision, the higher court agreed that Angola Farm Line workers deserve water, rest, and equipment to protect from heat
Water from flooded Upper Mississippi River offers relief after two years of drought
Higher river levels might stave off intense saltwater intrusion
Judge orders Angola to provide Farm Line workers access to shade, rest, sunscreen, and water
Nuns Harnessing the Sun
The Sisters of the Holy Family are constructing solar panels on the order’s New Orleans East motherhouse, to create the city’s 12th solar-driven Community Lighthouse – and, over on Dwyer Road, they’re installing solar panels to reduce their neighbors’ Entergy bills.
‘It isn’t very clear who is responsible for the jail getting to that cap’
The Orleans Justice Center has surpassed the city’s jail population cap, sparking questions about how to increase releases while reducing bookings — and what the rising jail population means for the health of those incarcerated and for the city of New Orleans.
Angola prisoners ask to end field work in worst heat
For decades, Angola has forced prisoners to work in fields in extreme heat. Today, they’re urging a federal judge to halt the practice — prisoners have filed a motion as part of a proposed class-action lawsuit to end the practice of forced agricultural labor at the prison
“We should have a sense of urgency”: Drainage tile drives nutrient pollution
Agricultural drainage tile, a system used by farmers to increase crop yields, is a main contributor to excess nutrients in waterways.
