On October 27, 1977, Davis Gregory filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the United Stated District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against the Louisiana Health and Human Resources Administration. The lawsuit challenged the conditions of confinement at the East Feliciana Forensic Facility and was brought as a class action lawsuit. Attorneys Lawrence R. Anderson, Jr. of Seale, Smith, Zuber & Barnette, Clay J. Calhoun, Jr., and R. James Kellogg represented the plaintiffs. Because the complaint is not available, there is little information about the specific conditions that were challenged.

At some time before the parties reached a settlement, the Attorney General of the United Stated intervened in this action. The District Court (Judge Frank Joseph Polozola) approved a Consent Decree on December 2, 1983. Davis v. Armistead, 575 F.Supp 695 (M.D. La. 1983). According to the Decree, a new facility, War Veterans Home (on the campus of East Louisiana State Hospital), was being built and would become a part of the East Feliciana Forensic Facility. The defendants agreed that within six months of the completion of the War Veteran Home, the facility would be in substantial compliance with the following: Louisiana State Rules, Regulations and Minimum Standards Governing Hospitals, including The Hospital Licensing Law; Standards of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Agency policies regarding the use of psychotropic medications, seclusion, and restraints; and the Louisiana statute enumerating mental health patients' rights (La. R.S. § 28:171).

According to the docket, the defendant was in compliance with the terms of the Consent Decree as of May 18, 1992 and the case was closed on July 7, 1992.

Angela Heverling - 03/04/2007


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