In May 1971, Marie Guerrera Holland, a pretrial detainee, filed a class action civil rights suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleging that the Jefferson parish jail was in deplorable physical condition and that inmates did not receive adequate medical care or opportunities for physical exercise.
According to the complaint, an insufficient number of prison guards was causing cruel and inhumane treatment. The complaint also alleged that severe overcrowding eliminated meaningful rehabilitation programs and prevented the segregation of serious and nonserious offenders.