Gov. Jeff Landry declares emergency for Angola prison unit in need of repairs

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) -- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared an emergency to make repairs possible for the Camp J unit at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

The governor's executive order states that the prison, commonly known as Angola, lacks an adequate number of beds for inmates. The order specifically states that Camp J, a maximum security unit, is in a state of deterioration, adding that it poses an injury risk for inmates, employees, and other people in the facility.

According to the document, Camp J was plagued with issues for years before it closed. Landry references the following incidents or events in his order:

• A 2017 incident in which dozens of weapons were found due to security malfunctions.
• 85 corrections officers assigned to the building resigned, retired, or were fired due to challenges within one year.
• Malfunction of cell locks, which caused security issues and led to the 2018 closure of Camp J.

A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety said officials are developing a timeline for repairs.

The order, signed on July 25, suspends procurement and bidding rules. It will remain in effect until Aug. 23 unless it is extended.

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