Belinad Parker-Brown, who has recently intensified her efforts to procure Louisiana prisoner releases as evidence of corona virus spread begins to surface in Louisiana’s prison populations.
Belinda Parker-Brown, who is the fonder and CEO of Louisiana United International, and who we’ve previously profiled as indicating prospective inmates are being “badgered” into accepting plea deals under threat of “death by Covid-19 in prison,” has recently intensified efforts to mobilize forces to procure inmate releases.
Our subscribers may recall Brown having an active role in a peaceful Angola protest we covered on June 19, 2020. We present video coverage of our interview with Brown again at this time:
Parker-Brown visits with Burns briefly after the Angola Prison demonstration earlier in the day. To view the court documents she references, simply Click Here and Click Here.
Brown’s latest effort entail numerous petitions and periodic event gatherings all entailing efforts to “enforce the 8th Amendment” to the U. S. Constitution (cruel and unusual punishment). Brown’s efforts coincide with word of a corona virus outbreak at Dixon Correctional Facility, which is the only prison facility in Louisiana for housing prisoners requiring dialysis treatment due to kidney failure.
From the preceding article:
Officials started mass testing at Dixon several days ago and have discovered a large number of inmates tested positive but showed no symptoms, which is consistent to what they’ve seen in other state prisons.
So far almost 900 inmates have been tested, a little over half the prison’s total population. The results show 331 of those men have tested positive — 303 of whom are considered asymptomatic.
Dale Viola, the inmate’s uncle, said he’s convinced his nephew will die inside the prison unless corrections officials start taking the virus seriously. “If he gets infected, there’s nothing anyone can do except demand justice from top to bottom,” Viola said.
Mercedes Montagnes, executive director of the New Orleans advocacy group Promise of Justice Initiative, said DOC should move the dialysis patients into safer temporary accommodations or grant them furlough. Pastorick didn’t say whether those are options officials have considered.
“We have learned throughout the pandemic that we cannot be complacent and hope for the best,” Montagnes said. “We must protect the vulnerable.”
DOC has taken little action to reduce the state’s prison population despite recommendations from experts several months ago that releasing some inmates is the best way to reduce the spread of the coronavirus behind bars.
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