Angola State Prison: A Men-Only Environment?

Angola State Prison, also known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary, is a maximum-security prison farm in Louisiana, USA. It is the largest maximum-security prison in the country, with 6,300 prisoners and 1,800 staff. The prison is located on the site of a former slave plantation, from which it takes its name.

The prison has a long and complex history, dating back to the 1800s. It has been criticised for its treatment of inmates, including the use of forced labour, and has seen numerous riots and escape attempts. However, in recent years, efforts have been made to improve conditions, with the prison being accredited by the American Correctional Association in the 1990s.

Today, Angola State Prison remains a highly secure facility, housing thousands of inmates and employing a variety of industries to keep prisoners occupied.

Angola State Prison is located on the site of a former slave plantation

In the 1830s, Isaac Franklin purchased the four contiguous plantations that would become Angola State Penitentiary from Francis Rout. After Franklin's death in 1846, his widow, Adelicia Cheatham, sold the land in 1880 to Samuel Lawrence James, a former Confederate major.

Under the convict lease system, Major James ran his plantation using convicts leased from the state as workers. He was responsible for their room and board and had total authority over them. James died in 1894.

In 1901, the state of Louisiana took control of Angola, and it became a state prison. The prison is located in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, at the end of Louisiana Highway 66, around 22 miles (35 km) northwest of St. Francisville.

It is the largest maximum-security prison in the US

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola, is the largest maximum-security prison in the US. It is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, and is surrounded by water on three sides. The prison sits on 18,000 acres of land, which was once an 8,000-acre plantation named after the country of Angola, from where many of its enslaved people originated.

Angola is the largest correctional facility in the US by population, with 6,300 prisoners and 1,800 staff, including corrections officers, janitors, maintenance workers, and wardens. It is also one of the country's oldest prisons, having opened in 1901.

The prison has a long and troubled history, including inmate brutality, harsh working conditions, and poor living conditions. In the 1950s, inmates protested by cutting their Achilles tendons, and in the 1960s, Angola was known as "the bloodiest prison in the South" due to the high rate of inmate assaults.

Despite reforms and improvements over the years, including accreditation by the American Correctional Association in the 1990s, Angola continues to face challenges. In 2019, seven staff members were arrested for rape, smuggling items to inmates, and maintaining personal relationships with prisoners.

Angola is also known for its inmate labour, with prisoners working in various agricultural and manufacturing enterprises. While proponents argue that prison jobs provide skills and purpose, critics argue that the labour is forced and that inmates are underpaid, exploited, and denied basic protections and rights.

The prison has been featured in several documentaries and films, including "The Farm: Angola, USA," and has been described as "the Alcatraz of the South" due to its size, location, and history of violence.

The prison is named after the country of Angola, from where many of the enslaved people originated

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, more commonly known as Angola, is a maximum-security prison farm in Louisiana. It is named after the country of Angola, from which many of the enslaved people who worked on the plantation that previously occupied the territory originated.

Before the American Civil War, the 28 square miles of land that the prison now sits on was known as the Angola Plantations, a slave plantation owned by slave trader Isaac Franklin. The plantation was named after the country of Angola, on the west coast of Southern Africa, from which many of the enslaved people were from.

In the 1830s, Isaac Franklin purchased the four contiguous plantations that would become the Angola Penitentiary. After his death in 1846, his widow, Adelicia Cheatham, sold the plantations to former Confederate major Samuel Lawrence James in 1880.

During the Reconstruction era, Major James tried to produce cotton with the forced labour of African Americans. Under the convict lease system, he ran his plantation using convicts leased from the state. He was responsible for their room and board and had total authority over them. The state passed laws directed at African Americans, requiring payment of minor fees and fines as punishment for infractions. Cash-poor men in the agricultural economy were forced into jail and convict labour. Such convicts were frequently abused, underfed, and subject to unregulated violence.

In 1880, the state penitentiary was run by a private firm, but after news reports of brutality against inmates, the state of Louisiana took control of Angola in 1901. The prison officially opened in 1901, though the first inmates were housed in the old slave quarters in 1880.

Angola is also known as the 'Alcatraz of the South'

The Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, is a maximum-security prison farm in Louisiana. It is nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South" due to its brutal conditions and high rate of inmate assaults. Located in a remote region of Louisiana, the prison is surrounded on three sides by the Mississippi River.

Throughout its history, Angola has faced numerous challenges due to its geography and administration. The prison was originally established on an 8,000-acre plantation, named after the country of origin of its enslaved workers. In the early years, inmates were housed in the old slave quarters and forced to work on the plantation through the convict leasing program, which was essentially a continuation of slave labor.

Angola gained a reputation for brutality and violence, with frequent riots and assaults. In the 1950s, inmates protested the harsh work and living conditions by cutting their Achilles tendons, an act that drew national media attention. Over the years, there have been several notable escape attempts, including a failed attempt in 1999 where inmates took three officers hostage.

Despite some reforms, particularly in the area of medical care, Angola continues to struggle with issues such as overcrowding and staff misconduct. With over 6,000 prisoners, it is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. The prison offers various outreach programs, including church services, counseling for veterans, and an inmate-produced newsmagazine.

Angola is also known for its annual prison rodeo, which has been a tradition for over 45 years. The event features inmate performers and allows them to sell their crafts, such as license plate ashtrays and picture frames made from cigarette cartons. The rodeo attracts thousands of visitors and has become a well-known attraction in the region.

Prisoners are paid between 2 cents and 40 cents an hour for their labour

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.

Prisoners at Angola are paid between 2 cents and 40 cents an hour for their labour. This rate of pay is in line with the state's 2015 pay regulations. However, the Prison Policy Initiative has found that prisoners in Louisiana are paid anywhere between 4 cents and $1 per hour for jobs that support prison facilities, while work on products and services that are sold to outside government agencies and private businesses can pay up to 40 cents an hour.

Angola has numerous enterprises, including corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat crops; a license tag plant; printing services; a mattress factory; and a herd of 1,600 cattle. Prisoners are required to perform field labour for at least 90 days upon arrival at Angola. After this period, they can apply for other jobs in the prison if they have positive disciplinary records. However, there are not enough non-agricultural jobs for all the prisoners.

The work at Angola is gruelling, with prisoners spending long hours doing manual labour in hot conditions with limited access to water. Prisoners who are unable or unwilling to work in the fields are placed in solitary confinement.

The low rate of pay for prisoners at Angola is legal under the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery but included a loophole for people convicted of crimes. However, activists and prisoners are calling for an end to forced labour and better pay and working conditions for incarcerated workers.

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