Art. 227.1 Prevention of escape; use of force

If someone in custody tries to escape, whether they're already serving a sentence or just waiting for trial, the guard or officer watching them is allowed to use reasonable force to stop them. This applies whether the person is escaping from a state prison, a parish jail, or simply from an officer's direct supervision, like during transport or an arrest.

The key word here is "reasonable." The law doesn't give guards or officers a free pass to use any amount of force they want. The force used has to match the situation. This rule exists to protect officers and guards from legal trouble when they act to stop an escape, as long as their response is appropriate to the circumstances they're facing.