Addressing the inhumanity in Angola Prison • The Tulane Hullabaloo

The Louisiana sun beats down on the faces of laborers toiling between the rows of crop fields. With wooden shovels in hand, these detained workers spend hours under scrutiny from mounted policemen, with little rest, skin protection, or protection from the intense southern heat.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary is an 18,000-acre prison located several miles northwest of St. Francisville, Louisiana. It is a maximum security prison on the site of a former plantation where inmates are forced to perform long hours of hard labor on the farm. According to an article in the PBS newsThe prison is often referred to as “Angola” because most of the slaves who worked on the plantation came from the Country Angola.

Before emancipation, slaves worked in the fields nonstop from sunrise to late evening. Inmates today work in the same fields under unsafe conditions. In other words, the inmates' work in the fields under the strict supervision of guards is comparable to the brutal conditions that slaves endured. It is almost as if slavery was never abolished in this country.

On August 24, I visited the New Orleans Historic Collection Museum with Tulane University's NTC College Scholars Program. As part of my orientation, students were given the opportunity to participate in an off-campus cultural outing. While visiting the museum, I explored an exhibit dedicated to incarceration in Louisiana. It was at this exhibit that I began to research Angola Prison in more detail, including the appalling conditions that continue to exist there. The prison is only two hours from New Orleans and the Tulane community, meaning slavery-like conditions exist in exceptional proximity.

Ultimately, forced agricultural labor has been used at Angola Prison for nearly 200 years. The Louisiana prison system's approach is comparable to slavery tactics, oppression, and punishment. Incarcerated workers receive almost nothing to perform their work, and if they refuse, they receive nothing and must endure punishment.

An article published in Tthe Washington Post included a quote from 49-year-old Terrance Winn about conditions in Angola. He described how he received the same treatment as his enslaved ancestors while working there.

While many of Angola's prisoners are serving decades or life sentences behind bars, Louisiana's high incarceration rate must be viewed in the context of Angola. Louisiana has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States and arrests 596 people per 100,000. The transition between mass slavery and mass incarceration in Louisiana is undeniable.

Some may argue that because of the violence of these crimes, many of these prisoners deserve to be in prisons where they are forced to do hard labor. Some may also argue that it is beneficial for prisoners to be kept busy during the day.

However, we must consider the conditions in which they work. Prisoners work outdoors during Louisiana's summer months, when the weather can reach record temperatures. Maximum temperatures of 114 degrees. Ultimately, these are unsafe conditions for any human being. If there is a history of violence, abuse and horrific practices, it is worth considering by the outside world.

As Tulane students, we are part of a community that embraces inclusivity and diversity. As part of this environment, I make it a point to engage with New Orleans and Louisiana society. I take time to educate myself and recognize communities outside of the Tulane bubble, as well as the stories of those suffering in inhumane environments near me. I believe that Angola Prison is a blatant threat to human rights and reflects the urgent need for criminal justice reform in Louisiana. Prison systems should be committed to rehabilitation in society and promoting public safety. Angola Prison is a replica of slavery.