Rights Group Letter on “Dirty and Unsafe” Conditions During Louisiana Prison Evacuations

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE September 20,2021 Gov. John Bel Edwards Offic of the Governor PO Bow 04008 Baton Rouge, LA 70804 Via Maik fo slic chambers @lagor Dear Governor Fvards, ris tes followup othe ter we sent om September requesting informatio about he state's len cng he Safes an hah of poe incrccmed in Linisiana during and fe rsa 1a. The Sepmbe 3 fc Special requented esonis 0th following nui: () Why was thre no vacation of th people confined 27S Chars Parish Nek Coleman Conechond] Centr ox Lafourche Pah Correcional Complea 3) What Str so loc vn sit nly oes whe mcd for how fe et whereof et nepoesied loved nes 5) What specie measures re bing kn nce hat Price cautions nd accormedons are nok Cacrbating the spread of COVI19 in aie 9) How ar evacuated itis bein sessed for heath nd fey before the rear of diphced populations? To dae, we have no recived an ofl sponse 10 the Septem 3 ete rom the governors bie or fom any ste oficial. Toth contra, we Tews received vavious sippets of information om local ofcits an tough informal channel fk 1 contadicted iy Trathand conte fom nease<rated mdwidunls and thes Sanies, We agi te i sats sespan tr ok Peneing meen and ams or the dhol Soncems outined inthis Follow-up ete. Specifically, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DOC?) informed us that proper COVID19 precaion: were flowed i the action nd that meaeerted people souk] have access 1 hones at latin TIO sive Face. Then hi sls bee word fom corel onien sain St. Chee, where th merrcemied poplton was lof in le dese sre exactions fo the pai, that condoms i he fy were and moma, side from communication sues. Fut th formation we have gered from people on the side nd Tie fis genraly pins a roubling Pitre of npc and brut. Ou dul mcreerated ommuniy members eport umcupiable conditions dung the evacuation, cluding ck of COVID 19 protocols dey and wnate facilis ac of showers, ulus to provid regular medication; people bein set 1 Camp J (th COVID.19 quaranine Felt a Liuiiana Ste Deitniy (15) for discphoary reasons; vere from gud, including ern Spread eels rar wd eh een oe, Accounts from Si. Charles indicate tha he fact is burnin through generators, and fll of war es. 1 

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE Addons, we have lensed afi mor tha week of sence and secrecy that he city of New Orleans evaeued 56 tecnagers rom the New Orlans juvenile dein center Fay Ht Corecuons Cech, sate du prison, head of he hurricane, a move that plainly napproprar and gal Repent Evscustion Condi Despite the stares assurances that incarcerated adules n Levisana were vacated say, stand accounts rom Fe aihion vores meet Sn eon ameter bro on. Lack of COVID-19 Protos Individuals cvacusted 0 SP report hac basic COVID. 19 proocols such as soil isancing and masking wer not Chrervel uti he evaesaion People port evi to sep om treme on th fino ot gr with meson Game md he. Hamed of eagle were arn me the 5m head nto 0 hat 3 yn eld oven Joi oll ont someon ls mares Facuee por hat thre was no ort 0 separate vacated cacuses from he umaccimted Mans Orcs cacuee report tht hey wre ot ted for COVED 19 pon tht reo Oren. Dirty and Una Fas Individuals evacuated to LSP report that the facies in hich they wee hld wer diy and unsafe, There were ons, but si condoning, and the fs wees ot effective snough 1 prevent sme people rom sufeing het xhausion. The cvacuces were mot provid nears enough tds. For th ft tw ce dag most caciees wer hep he ym (which they dover a ila 0 ate or 45) the chapel a alee. There were birds Roig tt 3 re te Br ws voto i tes sr, ct aig ween, a ch. By he raf Te ene on vette sheen wire Beng Ths ero wan Corona rms rey Sor and naman conditions encouraged vent seule. When these cacuces wer nly allowed uti ats several Gags, was only for one out, ame lace, ee were only rw wes and on ail avaible for sean 0 Lone paper—for at lea 13 individual. One man wher normally ncarcrsted in the mental heath unt a¢ te Temporary Detention Center (TDC epored hat he aa put in 3 cll a 15 witha ello avacce from TC, a oem thre was olf oe, ome of the cm had 0 sees rhe floc, Nov econ was avalible to te ceca ed Yet ove vac ported ak is pesone dy eos were ok ey 8 I ch all Lack of Stns Individuals exacted 0 LSP report hat they were not provided adequate access to shower ales during he cvvmton: Several opie ped tak {hy wegen Premio to showee fr ot ck + Fv gs. Os rs Tha an LSP cmployee ad prepared the shower fo he evacuees, but th dputics woud no low he 0 us he a Ch Code Ale 32260) (Noch subject he urisicion of th juvenile cour shall be held in dul a orlockun 2 

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE proper showers wn fv dys Moy evacuees wee to sone ge oe doen todays wees Tor permite change clothes. Fae 0 Price Rear Motion todd evacuated 0 LSP report ha ela, prescribed medication was no valbe for several days din he emtbon. Ore, ataed an iad 4 whe 1 ves Ws reves ediciones: io iho i pyehclogical mccain fot a couple dys and did ot have is blood resure medication for the fit Sdn. People Sent to Camp | for Disiplinary Reasons Individuals evacuated 1 SP port ht evacues were sen to Camp for discipinay reasons, despite he fc that Camp) corte being wed a LSP quavantine fcity for COVID-19 past. One cvacuce reported ht he Vas Sin to Camp J afc mere srl ament with a staf member, and anthes was sent to Camp J or complaining that the cvacuces had only been given one meal that day. In Camp J, evacuees report observing mold, eer phen, spades wet wm rch everwhere? When the er mes csi poe fhe eens were Genie One evacuees was he in Camp] reported Spin on etl bed th ms mts. Gund Viste Individuals evacuated 1 LSP repo that staff engage in excessive and unnecessary violence toward evacuees, including ndicrminate deployment of pepe rays ending people 0 Camp J and ven conic commny fod tha had been ified tr he vacuses rom 15 regaled sewn, Generally evacuees report ha the 15H Sa were particu cruel and vient ow thes Sompared to thei eaters of the regu LSP reddens. Facuces who pushed back or argued were set fo Camp J. egadlss of thir COVID>19 sts. One man whe us 3 pcemabes approached th LSP gal with a mee a ecivd 1 bac cy in recur. “here ae reports tha ffs rom Orleans Parish Shri's Ofc sere indiscriminately pepper spraying evacuees. ckordin to 3 iss, or an was Pepe sprayed ached, badcufed, nd the pre Sed ag, Them, rogram Fc tn ge, prt he wird Fi fr rs mecha ad 8 aes cel stemion tha the wines was ae of. 1] a ecived Jn thre abe spec pres of evacuees ing pepe Spas. incaing one man who has asthma and who as posine for COVID- 19a fe dhrenening Tepimon ines, Fen evacuecs wh were or nets pepper spared were afcied by the pray coming fom Rican cells or bing i hei. Recaus the vacuges Fd cess vo Somioee, gros of slo LS oes elt vo put ogee commen bs for the evacoses rom ei ew wom. Wen the evacuees wane aoe oP, th 157 Getic conficared th bags fining he increible at of Kids and care th th LSP me ad amped. And he dep no 0p ar conScaton<he drove home he haming and emorabng ratre of thew ge by thing the bags o the ground and Sepp on hem. Tiers ht est ae chon that ofc wre enionally no wes te lo body consras, 0 0 avoid extineomar oncom v0 3 

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE Lack of Ass 0 Pons Individuals evacuated 0 1S report hat they were os able use th phones to cal hee ilies o hte tomers rio he vacation. Onc cuncoe report ha he wae ot lowed 0-1 anyone while he wis evacuated a 15h, and whn he retumed 0 Orkans Justice Center, the phones were tamed off, he icarccrted men were not able tor call ci familie ll the hat he ers fc ad back hi sur location. In at, staff ok he men ht he phones were not alae because he fly was ocd due he pot behavior of he csacucs a SP Conditions. 0 Chatea rue Sopemee ter, wereld 0 why cei comseionl felis i piehes undos sandatony vacation ondes wir not evacuated. Among he. aces was Nelson Coleman Coreational Cente n St. Chas, which as wok avast desig ioe pars dae don eviesbon. Ses sd cri We ese ad ers tht Nelson Corman occupied without power and 5 crn ranting on suond ks enero, which i “on i lot lo” We are 1d ht he roof aking tht he loos wet rom the Hak, tac her eo hotter, and tha nn kos whe he phones will be i service ain Ghildren Were Tigally Evacuated 0 an Adult Prison tn addin t the harrowing report rom adult exacues, we ave leaned that ile ranging 14 0 18 years od. were cused from the New Orfans Juvenile Jat Inrsenion Comes t Flan Hut Conetional Cente, an de prion. Thi an unceprable cvacuion Seg or eenapers confined in cre cis coding 18 econ ews ston,“ inn] Sesagers nd 26 sll agers fom the vel cones were moved to Hay Hunt Cormectonal Caner. Gabriel 27, two dys befor Humane da ade lndfl They wee kept in 3 buding separate from th adult prison poption fo ve day and et he Fact Spt. 1, aid Ken Paorich, spokesman for the adel prsom systems “hese children are teenagers who hase not been convieed of crimes—many have not even fad criminal proceedings et. The aut shiklren “td thee pens and atoreys tha he conditions at the prison were scary od upsting for thm” ta the fd was neil hat was unbearably hon, and thar hey were only permite howe once aves sever ge On oben reported that bo som deere the exprince 1 om Saye Fis Hi when sh was al abl 0 speak in was mot alowed to call er whl was a Hurt, nd she a ben ble t reach him a all for sera ay. “He hd cl where had be bees he id now here he had been 1 just id vas gown people il He sit Nom, they pt me na grown man’ prison Rachel Nip a Jac O'Donoghue, No Ors cs nde os dt prin fr Haine 1 ILLUMINATOR (Sept. 15, 2021), hups:// illuminator com,/ 2021 /09/15/new-orlans-tssasin- deletion: centers: Si i i 4 

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE Juvenile sti conte offs contacted parents ahead of the soem inform them that thei children would be acted, ut they gave mo diction tha he woukd be moved t an adult li Children who have not been onsite of ems are not supposes 10 be held in adult conetona ie. Under Louisiana how {no chill subjet 0 the fusion of the avenle court hall be held i adult al or lockup. La. Ch. Code Article 822(C). Atosnes fo he ciien wer unable t locate thee cents fo more than a week afer the hurcan, andthe Ci of New Oran refused 10 awe questions fom epore about where the chide evacured fom the over Comer had gone Even after th chide recur 10 New Oran, ofl nal <u thy cold not sar the evant lation wits fhe tomers o the sedis ove secur amcere, They oy sion the eeragors hd cen moves 10 a afc advocate and pens shared stories from he inom who re evacuated” As mote inoue previous ee, huscanes a othe dasa wether ents i this gion ae ot unexpected. Tei perv tha the sar have plans im place for the safe Pane, aansparen, and cent evacuation of or cerca communis members ig esos ve, Wet out repo Sincerdl, Jaf Messe Montszncs Mercedes Montagne: La Bar No 33387 1024 Elysian Fields Avenue New Orleans, LA T0116 menage acindarry S529 3058 cc Jomihan Vining Tete Chambers James Lene Covers dws Gregor © Comme Crug ebre John Walch Nthes Block Nata Laborde “Timothy Hooper Kin Gocin Tu ‘li li 

) A THE PROMISE [] OF JUSTICE q INITIATIVE Tina Vanicchagorn Nain N. Gusman Co-Signing Organizations Fast Baton Rouge icon Pash Reform Conlon (FRPP Families and Friends of Loisints Incarcerated Children (FIC) Louisiana Contr for Childrens Rigs (1.CCR) Presening Resources Effccivly Appling Chesike Humbleness (PREACH) cans Pash Peon Reform Colon (OPPRC) Orleans Public Defender (OPD) Re-Faey dion Insite of Louisiana (REMILY) Voters Organised 0 Educa. Voice of he Experienced (VOTE) .