New Orleans' Jail Conditions Violate Inmates' Rights

[Louisiana1976]

NEW ORLEANS (AP)— Violent guards, understaffing and unsanitary conditions violate the constitutional rights of inmates at a New Orleans jail heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina, a Justice Department report concludes.

A report on the department's investigation, released Monday and dated Sept. 11, said that Orleans Parish Prison doesn't adequately protect inmates from excessive force by staff and physical harm from other inmates.

The investigation also concluded that inmates aren't receiving adequate mental health care and face health risks from unsafe and unsanitary conditions, including broken toilets, mice and cockroaches as well as "obvious electrical hazards."

The report by an official from the Justice Department's civil rights division commends Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff Marlin Gusman and his staff for repairing damage to the jail from the August 2005 hurricane.

But the department warns that it may file a lawsuit if conditions don't improve.

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Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090922/us-jail-conditions/