40 Years in Solitary Confinement: Two Members of Angola 3 Remain in Isolation in Louisiana Prison

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From DemocracyNow:

It’s been 40 years since April 17, 1972, or 14,600 days ago — that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox have been held in solitary confinement in Louisiana. The state says they were guilty of murdering a guard at Angola Prison, but Wallace, Woodfox and their network of supporters say they were framed for their political activism as members of the Black Panthers. Woodfox and Wallace founded the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1971. A third prisoner, Robert King, joined them a year later. The three campaigned for better working conditions and racial solidarity between inmates, as well as an end to rape and sexual slavery. Today, to mark the 40th anniversary of their placement in solitary confinement, Amnesty USA says it will deliver a petition to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal that bears the signatures of tens of thousands of people from 125 countries. We speak to Robert King, who was released in 2001 when his conviction was overturned and he pleaded guilty to a lesser offense. “We want the state of Louisiana and we want the world to know that we are still focusing on this case. This is a total violation of human rights and civil rights,” King says. “And it is ongoing.”

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  • kabrahamson19

    After watching this video clip and watching the video in class about Angola I am in shock. I cannot beleive how inhumane and degrading solitary confindment is. I actually was very unaware about how people are treated in solitary confindment. Spending 40 years or more in solitary confindment is such a violation of human and civil rights. It this video clip is very interesting, being able to listen to how he survied 29 years in a 6 by 9 by 12 room and having chains on everywhere he went. He spend almost 24 hours a day in his cell. solitary confindment is a large injust issue. Thanks!

  • thanks for posting this seeta….Such a horrible miscarriage of justice