The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Louisiana, accusing its prison system of routinely holding individuals past their release dates. The lawsuit follows a multiyear investigation that revealed a pattern of 'systemic overdetention' that violates inmates' rights and costs taxpayers millions of dollars annually.
According to the DOJ, more than 25% of individuals scheduled for release from Louisiana prisons since 2012 have been unlawfully detained beyond their release dates. Despite warnings from federal officials last year, the state's efforts to address the issue were deemed inadequate, showing a deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals.
