BATON ROUGE (AP) - A federal trial has begun in a lawsuit that accuses Louisiana prison officials of "grossly deficient medical care policies that have caused death and suffering" at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

  

The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2015 on behalf of inmates represented by advocacy groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. A trial expected to last as long as three weeks opened Tuesday. The suit says problems at the prison include too few doctors and nurses, and a lack of funding for adequate medical care.

  

The suit said delays in treatment in some instances have led to death.

  

The state has denied the suit's allegations in court briefings.