NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Loyola University just released the findings of a new study looking into the deaths of those incarcerated in Louisiana prisons, jails and detentions centers.
The university’s research is based on public record requests at more than 130 facilities across the state on the number of deaths and the reasons associated with each.
The study found that black men, ages 55-60 are the most likely to die behind bars.
The overwhelming majority died of medical causes, with heart disease and cancer being the major cause of death.
Suicide is next, with the majority occurring in juvenile jails.