{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://richmond.house.gov/press-release/reps-richmond-conyers-nadler-and-scott-lead-letter-calling-investigation-several", "Reps. Richmond, Conyers, Nadler, and Scott Lead Letter Calling for Investigation into Several Louisiana Prison Facilities", "2013-07-12", "2013", "2013-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cedric Richmond", "R000588", "richmond.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Justice\u2019s Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez calling for investigations into the alarming conditions in several Louisiana state prison facilities along with Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the full House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice and Congressman Robert C. \u201cBobby\u201d Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.\u00a0\nThe Members specifically expressed deep concern that the Louisiana Department of Corrections has, \u201cengaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the United States Constitution and federal law in its use of such confinement and detention practices.\u201d In the letter the Representatives urge the Attorney General to begin an investigation into the use of solitary confinement, and other troubling detention practices, in numerous Louisiana prison facilities, especially in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Louisiana.  \n\t\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n  \n\tThe full version of the letter transmitted to the Department of Justice can be found here:", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://richmond.house.gov/press-release/reps-richmond-conyers-nadler-and-scott-lead-letter-calling-investigation-several"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7866937667131424, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}