Angola Jail is a maximum security prison located in Louisiana, known for its harsh treatment of prisoners in the past. It has since undergone reforms and now offers enrichment opportunities such as KLSP Radio and the Angola Museum. The prison hosts the annual Angola Rodeo, with proceeds benefiting prisoner education programs. The prison’s location along the Mississippi River makes it difficult for transportation, and it holds the only FCC broadcasting license issued to a prison in the US. The Angola Museum also houses the Justice Hall of Fame.
Angola Jail is an American penitentiary located along the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The prison’s location along the river made it nearly impossible for prisoners to escape. This maximum security prison is known for a history of harsh treatment of prisoners followed by reforms. Angola Prison has facilities such as KLSP Radio and Angola Museum which provide enrichment opportunities for inmates. The prison has also hosted the all-inmate Angola Rodeo since 1965 with proceeds benefiting prisoner education programs.
Angola Jail is also known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary which is operated by the Louisiana Department of Corrections. The facility is located in West Feliciana Parish near the Francisville parish headquarters. The prison is surrounded on three sides by the Mississippi River, meaning transportation to the main gate is nearly impossible. The Louisiana Department of Corrections operates a ferry service for guards and other personnel from an undisclosed location. Prison buses carrying new inmates and supplies use winding routes around the river.
The history of the Angola Jail dates back to the property’s origins as a plantation in the 1830s. The end of the American Civil War in 1865 saw the transformation of the plantation into a working farm using forced labor. The farm’s reputation for brutal treatment of sharecroppers and convicts was transformed into the creation of the prison of Angola in the late 19th century. The environment inside Angola prison was exposed to the rest of the world by prisoner William Sadler in 19. Sadler’s “Hell Over Angola” articles led to gradual reforms, including the elimination of jobs forced in the 1940s.
The notoriety of the Angola prison has led to great public interest in the facility. The penitentiary holds the only Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadcasting license issued to a prison in the United States. The Angola prison’s KLSP radio features inmate and guard programs broadcast in the areas surrounding the facility. The Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum Foundation hosts prison exhibits at the Angola Museum. The museum also houses the Justice Hall of Fame to honor guards, judges and police officers connected to the facility.
Angola prison inmates also take part in the annual Angola Rodeo. This event features several contests where prisoners test their riding skills on horses and bulls. Angola Rodeo takes place in a 10,000-seat stadium on the 18,000-acre prison campus. This annual event features concession stands run by inmates and guards with profits used for the Inmate Welfare Fund. These stands sell fruit, vegetables and food prepared using ingredients from the prison garden.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
