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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 21 OctOber 2022
Shuffle of juvenile prisoners lands 8 at adult penitentiary

By KEVIN McGILL of individuals at each of
Associated Press the state juvenile lockups.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A The ones moved to Angola,
controversial transfer of ju- he said, “were the worst of
venile prisoners to a tem- the worst.”
porary facility at Louisiana’s Gordon said this week’s
sprawling high security pris- moves were the first of a
on farm for adult convicts three-phase transfer. She
involves a shuffle of youths said the youths were evalu-
to and from four different ated in accordance with a
lockups around the state, state law passed earlier this
officials said Thursday. year that ordered juvenile
As of Wednesday night, justice authorities to estab-
the facility at the Louisiana lish a tiered system for clas-
State Penitentiary at Ango- sifying youths as low-, me-
la held eight young offend- dium- or high-risk based on
ers in a building isolated age, aggressive tenden-
from the adult population. cies and other factors.
That building is now being Juvenile justice advocates
called the Feliciana Center and families of the young
for Youth. The penitentiary Vehicles enter at the main security gate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary the Angola Prison, the inmates have objected to
is in a remote rural area in largest high-security prison in the country in Angola, La., Aug. 5, 2008. the transfer of youths to An-
West Feliciana Parish, north Associated Press gola.
of Baton Rouge. The penitentiary is home
The move of young offend- jacking and shooting that Ten youth offenders from taken to Angola, in ac- to serious offenders, some
ers was announced in July happened before all were Bridge City, initially thought cordance with plans an- sentenced to death. It is
by Gov. John Bel Edwards. recaptured. to have been taken to the nounced in July. Connick where executions of con-
It came as state officials However, the state said Feliciana facility at Angola, said in a Thursday interview demned prisoners are car-
were under growing pres- in a news release that the were actually transferred to he was told by officials that ried out.
sure to do something after eight at the Feliciana facil- Monroe, Nicolette Gordon, behavior at the Bridge City It has its own checkered
the latest in a series of es- ity are not from Bridge City, a spokeswoman for the Center has improved since history of sometimes bloody
capes from the violence- as initially announced by state Office of Juvenile Jus- the pending transfers to violence and has been the
plagued Bridge City Cen- a state senator. Four were tice confirmed Thursday. Angola and stepped up subject of litigation alleging
ter for Youth in suburban from Acadiana Center for State Sen. Patrick Con- security at Bridge City were inadequate medical care.
New Orleans. That escape Youth at St. Martinville in nick, whose district includes announced in July. A lawsuit filed by oppo-
involved six inmates who southwest Louisiana and Bridge City, acknowledged Connick said juvenile jus- nents of the transfer con-
overpowered a guard and four were from Swanson he had been mistaken tice officials transferred pris- tended the trauma of
jumped a fence. One in- Center for Youth at Monroe when he said the Bridge oners this week based on being housed at Angola
mate is suspected in a car- in northeast Louisiana. City youths had been assessment of the behavior would be irreversible. q

Worker who quietly lowered town’s fluoride for years resigns

By LISA RATHKE tendent Kendall Chamber- in language that at times tary, towns that do must resignation letter shocked
Associated Press lin disclosed in his five-page echoes unfounded reports maintain levels within the some residents and area
A town employee who qui- resignation letter, submit- that have circulated on- state’s recommendations doctors, who raised con-
etly lowered the fluoride in ted Monday, that fluoride line in recent years that he and submit monthly reports cerns about misinforma-
a Vermont community’s levels have not been in doesn’t think the current to the state Health Depart- tion, dental health and
drinking water for years has the state-recommended fluoridation policy is legally ment, according to state government transparency,
resigned and is asserting range for over a decade required or scientifically officials. and said it was not a de-

that the levels had actually instead of nearly four years, sound, and, in his opinion, The Vermont Health De- cision for Chamberlin to
been low for much longer as the state had recently poses “unacceptable risks partment did not immedi- make alone.
than believed. disclosed. to public health.” ately return an email seek- The addition of fluoride to

Richmond water superin- Chamberlin said in his letter “I cannot in good con- ing comment on Chamber- public drinking water sys-
science be a party to this,” lin’s resignation or his new tems has been routine in
he wrote. assertions about the length communities across the
Chamberlin wrote that he of time fluoride levels have United States since the
has never received a neg- been out of range. 1940s and 1950s. Many U.S.
ative job review, has each Months after the discovery municipalities and other
day accurately measured that the fluoride added countries don’t fluoridate
the fluoride levels in the to the water was half the water for a variety of rea-
water, and has provided amount recommended by sons, including opposition,
monthly written reports that state and federal agen- feasibility and the ability to
were approved and signed cies, the town of Rich- get fluoride other ways.
by the town manager and mond said two weeks ago Critics assert that the health
submitted to two state it would raise levels to be effects of fluoride aren’t ful-
agencies. within range. ly known and that adding
He contends that fluorida- The original news that the it to municipal water can
tion is voluntary and that fluoride had been reduced amount to an unwanted
A pick-up truck rolls through downtown, Wednesday Oct. 5, the amounts are not man- for nearly four years a medication; some commu-
2022, in Richmond, Vt. dated. While fluoridating much shorter time than nities in recent years have
Associated Press municipal water is volun- Chamberlin revealed in his ended the practice.q