Activists demand change after recent inmate deaths across East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge parishes

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Linda Frank understands the deep pain of losing a loved one without warning. But this death is different.

“In 2015, my son, Lamar Johnson, was pulled over for a traffic ticket in Baker. He was taken to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, and four days later, he was found hanging in his cell,” said Frank.

Frank, along with other families who lost loved ones in jail, wants better handling of inmate deaths in prisons. Recently, inmates have died in East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge prisons. This has raised concerns about the treatment of people in jail.

“What were the conditions that led up to this happening and how was it allowed to persist to the level that it has for the numbers that we have since we started counting in 2012? There’s been over 80 deaths in that jail. And so, you have to ask yourself that this is not a one-off,” she said.

Sherie Thomas, Executive Director of the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana, has asked the same questions.

“East Baton Rouge have the highest number of deaths per capita in the nation. And so, we realize that this is not an isolated incident for West Baton Rouge, but we definitely need to identify how the deaths are occurring in custody,” said Thomas.

Thomas works to help those in jail turn their lives around. But she also tries to save them from harm inside prison walls.

She helped pass a law in 2023. This law aims to provide the public with more information about prison conditions.

“There are no set policies for reporting deaths for jails in Louisiana. And so, once we obtain more data, we can look at the trends and be able to identify where the problems are and how the solutions can be most effective,” she said.

Frank said it’s love that drives her to keep fighting for justice for her son and others who suffered in jail. She said if the public knows more, then people can help stop the issue before it gets worse.

“The community has to be involved in demanding that those in administration, the share of the metro council, be held accountable for the conditions and the treatment of the citizens that they are paid to protect while they are awaiting their day in court,” said Frank.

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