Laborde Correctional inmates will return Friday and Saturday

More than 1,500 inmates evacuated from Raymond Laborde Correctional Center will be returned to the state prison in Cottonport on Friday and Saturday, a Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections spokesman said. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the State Fire Marshal's Office notified DOC today that a fire at a closed tire recycling plant next to the prison has been extinguished and the air quality is safe for inmates to return.

The tire fire started on Jan. 16 but did not impact the prison until a cold front moved in on Jan. 20, shifting winds and blowing the thick, black smoke directly into the prison. DOC safely evacuated RLCC's prisoners to other state prisons.

Staff and buses from RLCC and other state prisons will be used to return the prisoners to Cottonport. State Probation and Parole officers will provide additional support and security in regards to returning the evacuated prisoners.

In addition to existing COVID mask mandates in place for Department of Corrections employees, all prisoner evacuees are required to wear masks at all times during the bus transport for their protection against the virus.