"Farm Line" Press Conference (2-5-26)

Описание: The Promise of Justice Initiative and Rights Behind Bars held a press conference following court proceedings on Thursday, February 5, 2026. Speakers addressed and took questions from the media regarding the end of the first week of the “Farm Line” class action lawsuit, VOTE v. LeBlanc, challenging the dehumanizing conditions of forced agricultural labor at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP), also known as Angola Prison.

Speaker Order:
Samantha Kennedy, Executive Director, Promise of Justice Initiative
Samantha Pourciau, Senior Staff Attorney, Promise of Justice Initiative
Lydia Wright, Legal Director, Rights Behind Bars
Joshua Hill Jr., Litigation Partner, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP
Dr. Jasmine Jackson, Co-Executive Director of the National Black Food & Justice Alliance
Norris Henderson, Executive Director, Voice Of The Experienced (VOTE), Association Plaintiff in the lawsuit

Over the last several days, Federal Judge Brian Jackson has heard evidence in VOTE v. LeBlanc, a class action suit to end Louisiana State Penitentiary's practice of the “Farm Line," a degrading and dangerous legacy of slavery. The suit was originally filed in September 2023.