In conjunction with human rights activists group Promise of Justice Initiative, three death row inmates of Louisiana's Angola penitentiary have filed suit in Baton Rouge federal court over the conditions in the prison. Citing "appalling and extreme conditions ... as a result of extreme heat", the inmates claim the prison's facilities violate the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment.

Promise of Justice Initiative deputy director Mercedes Montagnes says the matter was brought to their attention when the group received a letter from the inmates requesting assistance to aide with temperature concerns.

According to lawsuit documents, the heat index inside the prison routinely reaches 126 degrees in the summer months. The suit calls for Angola to address extreme temperatures, asking for a guaranteed heat index below 88 degrees.

The Department of Public Safety and Corrections is not commenting on the lawsuit because it's pending litigation.

 

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