Angola Prison, Louisiana: Navigating Accessibility Challenges

Angola Prison, officially known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary, is a maximum-security prison in Louisiana, USA. It is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, with 6,300 prisoners and 1,800 staff. The prison is located in a remote region, 22 miles northwest of the town of St. Francisville, and is bounded on three sides by the Mississippi River. Angola has a long and troubled history, including brutal conditions, mass escapes, and inmate deaths. Today, the prison offers educational programs and vocational training to inmates and is known for its inmate-run rodeo, which takes place every year in October. While Angola has made significant improvements, it still faces challenges due to its geography and administration.

Angola Prison is accessible by road from St. Francisville, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison, is located at the end of Highway 66, approximately 22 miles northwest of St. Francisville, Louisiana. It is accessible by road from St. Francisville, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.

From St. Francisville

To get to Angola Prison from St. Francisville, travel north on Highway 61 for about 2 miles. After passing West Feliciana High School on your right, turn left onto Highway 66. Highway 66 ends at the penitentiary's front gate after about 20 miles.

From Baton Rouge

If you're coming from Baton Rouge, follow I-110 (Martin Luther King Highway) to Highway 61 North and take the Natchez/St. Francisville exit. Travel for about 21 miles to St. Francisville, and then follow the directions above from St. Francisville.

From New Orleans

To get to Angola Prison from New Orleans, take I-10 to Baton Rouge. At exit 155-B, turn right onto the ramp towards I-110/Business District/Metro Airport. I-110 ends at US Highway 61, where you'll turn right (North) onto US Highway 61. Travel for about 26 miles to Highway 66, and then turn left. Highway 66 ends at the gates of the prison.

Accessibility and Visitation

The Louisiana State Penitentiary recognises the importance of visitation for the rehabilitation of imprisoned individuals. Visitation days are Saturday and Sunday from 6 am to 4 pm, with visitors required to arrive before 2 pm. Each imprisoned person is allowed a two-hour visit, and up to five visitors, including children, at a time. Visitors are subject to searches, and there are restrictions on the items they can bring. A dress code is also in place for visitors, with certain types of clothing deemed inappropriate.

The prison is located at the end of Highway 66

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, is located at the end of Highway 66, 22 miles northwest of St. Francisville, Louisiana. The prison is accessible via Highway 66, a 20-mile-long road that begins in St. Francisville and ends at the penitentiary's front gate. This remote location makes it somewhat challenging to reach, but specific directions are provided for those travelling from nearby cities such as Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

For those coming from St. Francisville, Highway 66 can be accessed by travelling north on Highway 61 for about 2 miles. After passing West Feliciana High School, a left turn onto Highway 66 will lead directly to the prison. This route is also applicable for those travelling from Baton Rouge, with the addition of taking the Natchez/St. Francisville exit from I-110.

Alternatively, for those travelling from New Orleans, the route involves taking I-10 to Baton Rouge and then connecting to I-110 towards the Business District/Metro Airport. From there, turning right onto US Highway 61 North and then left onto Highway 66 will lead to the penitentiary.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, nestled at the end of Highway 66, is the state's oldest and largest maximum-security prison. With a history dating back to the 1800s, it has undergone significant transformations and has earned various nicknames, including "America's Bloodiest Prison" and "The Alcatraz of the South." Today, it houses over 6,000 inmates and employs approximately 1,800 staff members.

The prison offers educational programs to inmates

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, is a maximum-security prison farm in Louisiana. It is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, with 6,300 prisoners and 1,800 staff.

Angola offers a variety of educational programs to inmates, including:

• Literacy classes for prisoners without a high school diploma or GED.
• GED classes.
• Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes for prisoners with a high school diploma or GED but low Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) scores.
• Special Education classes for students with behavioural, emotional, and/or learning disorders.
• Vocational classes, including automotive technology, carpentry, culinary arts, graphic communications, horticulture, and welding.
• Faith-based course work leading to an Associate or Bachelor's Degree in Theology, offered in partnership with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
• College credit in vocational-technical training fields, in partnership with the Louisiana Community & Technical College System.
• Pell-funded college degree programs offered by Ashland University and Wiley College.
• Various industry-based certification programs, such as Heavy Equipment Operating, ServSafe, NCCER, IC3, and Computer Coding.

Angola Prison has a long history of instability and reform

Angola Prison, officially known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary, has a long and troubled history. It was established in 1901 on the site of a former slave plantation, from which it takes its name. The plantation was named after the country of Angola, from which many of the enslaved people who worked there originated.

From its earliest days, Angola Prison has been associated with brutality and inhumane treatment. During the 1920s and 1930s, under the administration of Governor Huey Long, inmates were underfed, beaten, and tortured. During this period, there were around 10,000 floggings, and the prison became known as a place of severe abuses, with punishment camps and the sanctioned use of torture.

In the 1950s, a new governor promised to clean up Angola, and some improvements were made. However, by the 1960s, the prison had once again gained a reputation for brutality, this time as "the bloodiest prison in the South", due to the high rate of inmate assaults.

In the late 1970s, a federal judge declared the conditions at Angola to be unconstitutional, and ordered the state to improve security, medical care, and food service, as well as to eliminate fire, sanitation, and health hazards. Despite these orders, Angola remained a place of degradation, with primitive, coercive, and dehumanizing conditions.

In the 1990s, Burl Cain became warden of Angola. He is credited with turning to religion as a means of bringing morality to the inmates and reducing violence. Cain invited the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to open an ordination program within the prison, and hundreds of inmate-ministers were trained to turn their fellow inmates towards religion.

In addition to religious programs, Cain also focused on providing educational and vocational opportunities for inmates, as well as positive and creative outlets, such as an annual rodeo and arts and crafts festival.

Today, Angola Prison remains the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, with a population of over 6,000 inmates, the majority of whom are serving life sentences. While some improvements have been made over the years, the prison still faces challenges, including issues with inmate rights, mental health care, and aging prisoners who were promised parole decades ago but remain incarcerated.

The prison is the site of an annual rodeo

The Angola Prison Rodeo is the longest-running prison rodeo in the United States. It is held annually on one weekend in April and every Sunday in October at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The rodeo was conceived in 1964 and first staged in 1965 as a joint effort between prisoners, prison employees, and civilians living in Angola's residential area. The rodeo was not open to the public until 1967, when a limited number of tickets were offered for sale.

The rodeo serves as a behavioural incentive for prisoners, who can compete in various events, sell inmate-made products, and earn money. Participation is entirely voluntary, and many prisoners view the rodeo as a rare opportunity to feel part of society outside the prison gates. The rodeo also raises funds for religious educational programs for prisoners.

The rodeo features traditional and unique events. Traditional events include bull riding, bronco riding, barrel racing, and steer wrestling. The Angola Prison Rodeo also includes Convict Poker, where four prisoners play poker at a table while a bull is released into the arena with the sole purpose of unseating them. The last player remaining seated wins the game. Another event is Prisoner Pinball, where prisoners stand in randomly placed hula hoops, and the last one standing in their hoop when the bull is released wins. The grand finale is Guts and Glory, where a poker chip is tied to the head of a bull, and prisoners try to grab it.

The rodeo has faced criticism for being inhumane and exploitative, with some events specifically designed to endanger the lives of the participants. While the rodeo is voluntary, the chance to win cash prizes provides a strong economic incentive for prisoners to put themselves in harm's way. Inmate Jack Favor, a former rodeo star who was wrongfully convicted of two murders, played a key role in establishing the rodeo. He sought to instil self-discipline in the prisoners and formed a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

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