Louisiana ranks highest in prison mortality rate in U.S

• Heart disease major cause of death

A recent study has placed Louisiana as the highest-rated American state in prison inmate mortality. Heart disease is also the highest cause of deaths in American prisons.

According to the study conducted by personal injury lawyers, Connecticut Trial Firm, Louisiana recorded the highest prison mortality rate, with 42.7 deaths per 100,000 people. The most common cause of death in these state prisons is heart disease, with 611 deaths throughout the measured time period, with the least common reason being homicide with only nine recorded deaths .

Ranking second is Oklahoma with 38.9 deaths per 100,000 people. The most common cause of death for this state was also heart disease, with 42.4 deaths in the same period, and the least common cause was AIDS-related deaths, which accounted for 30 deaths.

Mississippi follows with 36.5 deaths per 100,000 people. Heart disease is also the leading cause of deaths in prisons for this state, with 390 deaths between 2001 and 2019. Drug and alcohol intoxication was the least common cause of death among Mississippi prisons, at just five recorded deaths throughout the 18-year period.

Alabama was placed fourth with 33.9 deaths per 100,000 people, while Arkansas placed fifth with 31.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Cancer and heart disease were the main causes of prisoner death in these states, respectively.

The research made use of data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to find which states have the highest prison mortality rates. They used data on prisoner fatalities that occurred between 2001 and 2019 and compared this to state population size, to find the prison mortality rate per 100,000 people in each state.

Ranking sixth was Delaware with 27.8 deaths, Texas with 26.4, Missouri ranked eight with 25.1 deaths. Florida followed with 25.0 and South Carolina was ranked 10th. Meanwhile, North Dakota has the lowest prison mortality rate, with 2.7 deaths per 100,000 people.