A federal judge decided not to block the state's plan to move the worst of its juvenile offenders to Angola while a legal battle plays out in court.

In a ruling issued Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick denied the motion to immediately halt the plan despite calling it "disturbing" and "untenable."

The transfer was proposed in July and would serve as a last resort following a surge in escapes and fights at the Bridge City Center for Youth in Jefferson Parish.

The move would be a temporary solution until the Jetson Correctional Center in Baker can be renovated to house the juveniles.