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Thursday, February 19, 2015
43 Years of Injustice: Amnesty International interviews the UN's Juan Mendez about Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 SHARE
Amnesty International has just released a new video entitled "Free Albert Woodfox: 43 Years of Injustice," featuring an interview with Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The video supports Amnesty's new petition campaign focusing on Albert's pending application for release on bail. In 2013, declaring that "Four decades in solitary confinement can only be described as torture," Mendez called for Albert's immediate release from solitary confinement. Speaking about Albert in this new video, Juan Mendez says: "Mr. Woodfox is spending his days in solitary confinement" His convictions have been reversed and the State is appealing them, so in fact he should be considered an innocent man until his guilt or innocence is resolved... There's no question that his conditions inflict on him the kind of pain and suffering...
43 Years of Injustice: Amnesty International interviews the UN's Juan Mendez about Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 SHARE
Amnesty International has just released a new video entitled "Free Albert Woodfox: 43 Years of Injustice," featuring an interview with Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The video supports Amnesty's new petition campaign focusing on Albert's pending application for release on bail. In 2013, declaring that "Four decades in solitary confinement can only be described as torture," Mendez called for Albert's immediate release from solitary confinement. Speaking about Albert in this new video, Juan Mendez says: "Mr. Woodfox is spending his days in solitary confinement" His convictions have been reversed and the State is appealing them, so in fact he should be considered an innocent man until his guilt or innocence is resolved... There's no question that his conditions inflict on him the kind of pain and suffering...
Thursday, February 12, 2015
New online action for Albert Woodfox launched today by Amnesty International; Please sign! SHARE
Today, Amnesty Intl. USA initiated a new petition in support of Albert Woodfox's Feb. 6 bail request that he filed in response to the favorable Fifth Circuit Court ruling on Feb. 3 that denied Louisiana AG Buddy Caldwell's appeal of Albert's third overturned conviction. Urging people to sign the new petition launched today, Jasmine Heiss of Amnesty Intl USA declares: "Allowing Albert his freedom is the only just and humane action the state can take after decades of holding him in cruel and inhuman conditions. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal must ensure that the state stops standing in the way of Albert's freedom. Tell the Governor: Stop wasting valuable taxpayer resources. Help ensure Albert's release without further delay. It is imperative that justice delayed does not become justice denied. Albert has endured the unthinkable. It is unconscionable to hold him for a single day longer."
New online action for Albert Woodfox launched today by Amnesty International; Please sign! SHARE
Today, Amnesty Intl. USA initiated a new petition in support of Albert Woodfox's Feb. 6 bail request that he filed in response to the favorable Fifth Circuit Court ruling on Feb. 3 that denied Louisiana AG Buddy Caldwell's appeal of Albert's third overturned conviction. Urging people to sign the new petition launched today, Jasmine Heiss of Amnesty Intl USA declares: "Allowing Albert his freedom is the only just and humane action the state can take after decades of holding him in cruel and inhuman conditions. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal must ensure that the state stops standing in the way of Albert's freedom. Tell the Governor: Stop wasting valuable taxpayer resources. Help ensure Albert's release without further delay. It is imperative that justice delayed does not become justice denied. Albert has endured the unthinkable. It is unconscionable to hold him for a single day longer."
Thursday, February 5, 2015
NOLA Times-Picayune: Angola 3's Albert Woodfox, imprisoned in solitary for 40-plus years, gets another victory in court SHARE
Albert Woodfox garnered another victory in court this week in his quest to be freed after more than 40 years in solitary confinement. A U.S. Appeals Court on Feb. 3 denied the Louisiana AG's request for a full review of a decision by a three-judge panel, which rendered it in November, overturning Woodfox's conviction in the 1972 murder of a prison guard. Amnesty International has called for Woodfox's release. The New York Times, too, penned an editorial following recent court developments calling solitary confinement of Woodfox "barbaric beyond measure." Jasmine Heiss, with Amnesty USA, said Wednesday with another court decision in favor of Woodfox, she was "distressed to think that the authorities in Louisiana would take any more steps to keep (Woodfox) behind bars... It's time for the state of Louisiana to stop... ignoring the wisdom of the courts and standing in the way of justice."
NOLA Times-Picayune: Angola 3's Albert Woodfox, imprisoned in solitary for 40-plus years, gets another victory in court SHARE
Albert Woodfox garnered another victory in court this week in his quest to be freed after more than 40 years in solitary confinement. A U.S. Appeals Court on Feb. 3 denied the Louisiana AG's request for a full review of a decision by a three-judge panel, which rendered it in November, overturning Woodfox's conviction in the 1972 murder of a prison guard. Amnesty International has called for Woodfox's release. The New York Times, too, penned an editorial following recent court developments calling solitary confinement of Woodfox "barbaric beyond measure." Jasmine Heiss, with Amnesty USA, said Wednesday with another court decision in favor of Woodfox, she was "distressed to think that the authorities in Louisiana would take any more steps to keep (Woodfox) behind bars... It's time for the state of Louisiana to stop... ignoring the wisdom of the courts and standing in the way of justice."
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Saturday, November 22, 2014
"Barbaric Beyond Measure," NY Times ediorial about Albert Woodfox's four decades in solitary confinement SHARE
42 Years In Solitary! The facts of the case were on Albert Woodfox's side: There was no physical evidence linking him or his co-defendant, Herman Wallace, to the murder, and prosecutors did not reveal that their main witness had been bribed to testify against the men. Mr. Woodfox, by all accounts, has been a model prisoner, and under Louisiana prison policy this should have earned him his exit from solitary confinement years ago... State officials insist their case is solid and have already said they intend to retry him, though the prison guard's widow believes he is innocent of the killing and most of the potential witnesses in the case are dead. Even comparatively brief solitary confinement can cause severe mental and emotional trauma; a United Nations expert has said that more than 15 days may amount to torture. When it is imposed for more than 40 years, it is barbaric beyond measure.
"Barbaric Beyond Measure," NY Times ediorial about Albert Woodfox's four decades in solitary confinement SHARE
42 Years In Solitary! The facts of the case were on Albert Woodfox's side: There was no physical evidence linking him or his co-defendant, Herman Wallace, to the murder, and prosecutors did not reveal that their main witness had been bribed to testify against the men. Mr. Woodfox, by all accounts, has been a model prisoner, and under Louisiana prison policy this should have earned him his exit from solitary confinement years ago... State officials insist their case is solid and have already said they intend to retry him, though the prison guard's widow believes he is innocent of the killing and most of the potential witnesses in the case are dead. Even comparatively brief solitary confinement can cause severe mental and emotional trauma; a United Nations expert has said that more than 15 days may amount to torture. When it is imposed for more than 40 years, it is barbaric beyond measure.
(1 comments)
Friday, November 21, 2014
BREAKING! Albert Woodfox's Overturned Conviction Upheld in Unanimous 5th Circuit Ruling SHARE
We are thrilled and honored to announce that just hours ago, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Brady's 2013 ruling overturning Albert's conviction for a third time in a 3-0, unanimous decision. Though the courts have finally ruled in the interest of justice, it may still be months or years before this innocent man is released from his solitary cell. This is THE moment those of us whose lives have been touched by these men and this case over the years have been waiting for. This is the time when we must call upon the whole of our connections, creativity, and courage to call with one voice for the immediate, unequivocal release of Albert Woodfox from prison once and for all without delay. Even with a unanimous decision in Albert's favor, firmly planted in a mountain of innocence evidence, the State can still tie up his release in a number of appeals and even choose to...
BREAKING! Albert Woodfox's Overturned Conviction Upheld in Unanimous 5th Circuit Ruling SHARE
We are thrilled and honored to announce that just hours ago, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Brady's 2013 ruling overturning Albert's conviction for a third time in a 3-0, unanimous decision. Though the courts have finally ruled in the interest of justice, it may still be months or years before this innocent man is released from his solitary cell. This is THE moment those of us whose lives have been touched by these men and this case over the years have been waiting for. This is the time when we must call upon the whole of our connections, creativity, and courage to call with one voice for the immediate, unequivocal release of Albert Woodfox from prison once and for all without delay. Even with a unanimous decision in Albert's favor, firmly planted in a mountain of innocence evidence, the State can still tie up his release in a number of appeals and even choose to...
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Amnesty USA statement on the eve of Albert Woodfox's Fifth Circuit Court oral arguments: We Demand Albert's release! SHARE
On January 7, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal court that oversees appeals in Louisiana and other states) will rule whether to uphold a federal district judge's ruling issued last February that overturned Woodfox's conviction. The state of Louisiana has appealed asking for the federal court to reinstate the sentence. "The state of Louisiana's action is not in the interests of justice," said Tessa Murphy, USA campaigner at Amnesty International. "Its insistence on keeping Albert Woodfox behind bars after decades in solitary confinement amounts to a campaign of vengeance, paid with taxpayers' money. The conviction has been overturned three times in what is a deeply flawed case, yet Louisiana has opposed every remedy ordered by the courts." Albert Woodfox was placed in solitary confinement over 41 years ago in Louisiana State Penitentiary, known to many as "Angola." During...
Amnesty USA statement on the eve of Albert Woodfox's Fifth Circuit Court oral arguments: We Demand Albert's release! SHARE
On January 7, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal court that oversees appeals in Louisiana and other states) will rule whether to uphold a federal district judge's ruling issued last February that overturned Woodfox's conviction. The state of Louisiana has appealed asking for the federal court to reinstate the sentence. "The state of Louisiana's action is not in the interests of justice," said Tessa Murphy, USA campaigner at Amnesty International. "Its insistence on keeping Albert Woodfox behind bars after decades in solitary confinement amounts to a campaign of vengeance, paid with taxpayers' money. The conviction has been overturned three times in what is a deeply flawed case, yet Louisiana has opposed every remedy ordered by the courts." Albert Woodfox was placed in solitary confinement over 41 years ago in Louisiana State Penitentiary, known to many as "Angola." During...
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Action Alert: Demand an end to Arthur "Cetewayo" Johnson's 34 years in solitary confinement SHARE
Arthur "Cetewayo" Johnson is a politicized prisoner who has been held in solitary confinement by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC) since 1979. Despite his exemplary disciplinary record of the past 25 years, and his recently turning 61 years old, Cetewayo continues to be subjected to 23-24-hour lockdown in solitary confinement with its attendant austerity, monotony, and deprivations. He has not had human contact with anybody except prison guards in over 30 years. This is far and away one of the worst cases of state torture in this country -- and that is saying something. Decades of social isolation and sensory deprivation is unfathomable, unconstitutional, and in violation of international human rights standards.
On October 3, 2013, Cetewayo had his annual review hearing at SCI Frackville, where officials assess whether to continue his solitary confinement. The final...
Action Alert: Demand an end to Arthur "Cetewayo" Johnson's 34 years in solitary confinement SHARE
Arthur "Cetewayo" Johnson is a politicized prisoner who has been held in solitary confinement by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC) since 1979. Despite his exemplary disciplinary record of the past 25 years, and his recently turning 61 years old, Cetewayo continues to be subjected to 23-24-hour lockdown in solitary confinement with its attendant austerity, monotony, and deprivations. He has not had human contact with anybody except prison guards in over 30 years. This is far and away one of the worst cases of state torture in this country -- and that is saying something. Decades of social isolation and sensory deprivation is unfathomable, unconstitutional, and in violation of international human rights standards.
On October 3, 2013, Cetewayo had his annual review hearing at SCI Frackville, where officials assess whether to continue his solitary confinement. The final...
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Friday, October 11, 2013
TAKE ACTION: Citing Herman Wallace, Amnesty International calls for Albert Woodfox's immediate release SHARE
(NEW YORK) - Following the death of Herman Wallace, who was held in solitary confinement for nearly 40 years, Amnesty International today launches a campaign demanding the release of his co-defendant Albert Woodfox, who also has been held in cruel conditions of isolation following a deeply flawed trial. 'Enough is enough,' said Steven W. Hawkins, Amnesty International USA executive director. 'Nothing can justify the cruel treatment that the state of Louisiana has inflicted on Albert Woodfox. It's simply unconscionable for the state to hold him one day longer. His trial was flawed and his conviction has been overturned three separate times. Authorities must let the most recent court ruling stand and release Woodfox from prison. At this point, Louisiana officials seem to be out for vengeance; instead, we call on them to act in the interest of justice and see that he is released.'
TAKE ACTION: Citing Herman Wallace, Amnesty International calls for Albert Woodfox's immediate release SHARE
(NEW YORK) - Following the death of Herman Wallace, who was held in solitary confinement for nearly 40 years, Amnesty International today launches a campaign demanding the release of his co-defendant Albert Woodfox, who also has been held in cruel conditions of isolation following a deeply flawed trial. 'Enough is enough,' said Steven W. Hawkins, Amnesty International USA executive director. 'Nothing can justify the cruel treatment that the state of Louisiana has inflicted on Albert Woodfox. It's simply unconscionable for the state to hold him one day longer. His trial was flawed and his conviction has been overturned three separate times. Authorities must let the most recent court ruling stand and release Woodfox from prison. At this point, Louisiana officials seem to be out for vengeance; instead, we call on them to act in the interest of justice and see that he is released.'
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture: Release Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 From Solitary Confinement SHARE
GENEVA (7 October 2013) -- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, today called on the US to immediately end the indefinite solitary confinement imposed on Albert Woodfox since 1972. Mr. Woodfox was convicted of murder together with Herman Wallace, who was released last week when his conviction was overturned on appeal. A day later, on 2 October, Mr. Wallace died after battling cancer, having spent 41 years in solitary confinement. "This is a sad case and it is not over" stressed Mr. Méndez. "The co-accused, Mr. Woodfox, remains in solitary confinement pending an appeal to the federal court and has been kept in isolation in a 8-foot-by-12 foot (2.5 x 3.5 m. Approx.) cell for up to 23 hours per day, with just one hour of exercise or solitary recreation." "Keeping Albert Woodfox in solitary confinement for more than four decades clearly amounts to torture..."
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture: Release Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 From Solitary Confinement SHARE
GENEVA (7 October 2013) -- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, today called on the US to immediately end the indefinite solitary confinement imposed on Albert Woodfox since 1972. Mr. Woodfox was convicted of murder together with Herman Wallace, who was released last week when his conviction was overturned on appeal. A day later, on 2 October, Mr. Wallace died after battling cancer, having spent 41 years in solitary confinement. "This is a sad case and it is not over" stressed Mr. Méndez. "The co-accused, Mr. Woodfox, remains in solitary confinement pending an appeal to the federal court and has been kept in isolation in a 8-foot-by-12 foot (2.5 x 3.5 m. Approx.) cell for up to 23 hours per day, with just one hour of exercise or solitary recreation." "Keeping Albert Woodfox in solitary confinement for more than four decades clearly amounts to torture..."
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Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Amnesty International on Herman Wallace of the Angola 3: Louisiana Must Release Dying Prisoner After Judge Overturns... SHARE
Amnesty International USA issued the following comments today from Steven W. Hawkins, executive director, in response to the U.S. District Court decision overturning the 1974 murder conviction of Herman Wallace, among the Angola 3 prisoners, in Louisiana: "We welcome the court's ruling overturning Herman Wallace's original murder conviction and ordering his immediate release from state custody. Tragically, this step toward justice has come as Herman is dying from cancer with only days or hours left to live. No ruling can erase the cruel, inhuman and degrading prison conditions he endured for more than 41 years - confined alone to a tiny cell for 23 hours a day. Judge Jackson's decision to overturn Herman Wallace's conviction underscores Amnesty's long-held concerns about the original legal process that resulted in his imprisonment. The state must act immediately to release Wallace and...
Amnesty International on Herman Wallace of the Angola 3: Louisiana Must Release Dying Prisoner After Judge Overturns... SHARE
Amnesty International USA issued the following comments today from Steven W. Hawkins, executive director, in response to the U.S. District Court decision overturning the 1974 murder conviction of Herman Wallace, among the Angola 3 prisoners, in Louisiana: "We welcome the court's ruling overturning Herman Wallace's original murder conviction and ordering his immediate release from state custody. Tragically, this step toward justice has come as Herman is dying from cancer with only days or hours left to live. No ruling can erase the cruel, inhuman and degrading prison conditions he endured for more than 41 years - confined alone to a tiny cell for 23 hours a day. Judge Jackson's decision to overturn Herman Wallace's conviction underscores Amnesty's long-held concerns about the original legal process that resulted in his imprisonment. The state must act immediately to release Wallace and...
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Ebony Magazine -- Herman Wallace and Nelson Mandela: A Tale of Two Heroes SHARE
Two political prisoners: one past, one present, both lay dying. Two heroes of the Black liberation movement: one revered, one maligned, both endured decades of solitary confinement. Two men: one African, one African-American, both fought for the rights of African peoples. Two names: one internationally known, one unknown to many of his own countrymen. Both names echo the journey to overcome apartheid and segregation.
Although Nelson Mandela and Herman Wallace each fought for racial equity in their respective countries, South Africa and the United States, in the eyes of their governments these men will leave two very different legacies. Who is Herman Wallace? The fact that you may be unfamiliar with him is neither a surprise nor an accident. For 41 years, Wallace has been confined to a 9ft by 6ft cell in the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) for a crime he maintains he did not commit
Ebony Magazine -- Herman Wallace and Nelson Mandela: A Tale of Two Heroes SHARE
Two political prisoners: one past, one present, both lay dying. Two heroes of the Black liberation movement: one revered, one maligned, both endured decades of solitary confinement. Two men: one African, one African-American, both fought for the rights of African peoples. Two names: one internationally known, one unknown to many of his own countrymen. Both names echo the journey to overcome apartheid and segregation.
Although Nelson Mandela and Herman Wallace each fought for racial equity in their respective countries, South Africa and the United States, in the eyes of their governments these men will leave two very different legacies. Who is Herman Wallace? The fact that you may be unfamiliar with him is neither a surprise nor an accident. For 41 years, Wallace has been confined to a 9ft by 6ft cell in the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) for a crime he maintains he did not commit
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Gravely ill Herman Wallace, of the Angola 3, hoping for compassionate release, w/ lawyer Nick Trenticosta SHARE
Herman Wallace, one of the remaining two imprisoned members of the Angola 3, has been diagnosed with liver cancer. Wallace's attorney believes it is time for him to be let out of solitary confinement and more importantly receive a compassionate release. Attorney Nick Trenticosta detailed his client's condition: "He's lost about 55 pounds in four months, and he is being treated completely negligently. I would say he's being killed through intentional neglect." Given his critical diagnosis, his lawyers and organizations like Amnesty International are pushing for a compassionate release. Asked whether he thought there was any chance that Wallace would receive a compassionate release, Trenticosta's response was telling. "I don't think so, and part of the reason is the state of Louisiana in the past six years has spent $6 million dollars in lawyer fees to keep a 71-year-old man in solitary...
Gravely ill Herman Wallace, of the Angola 3, hoping for compassionate release, w/ lawyer Nick Trenticosta SHARE
Herman Wallace, one of the remaining two imprisoned members of the Angola 3, has been diagnosed with liver cancer. Wallace's attorney believes it is time for him to be let out of solitary confinement and more importantly receive a compassionate release. Attorney Nick Trenticosta detailed his client's condition: "He's lost about 55 pounds in four months, and he is being treated completely negligently. I would say he's being killed through intentional neglect." Given his critical diagnosis, his lawyers and organizations like Amnesty International are pushing for a compassionate release. Asked whether he thought there was any chance that Wallace would receive a compassionate release, Trenticosta's response was telling. "I don't think so, and part of the reason is the state of Louisiana in the past six years has spent $6 million dollars in lawyer fees to keep a 71-year-old man in solitary...
Sunday, March 31, 2013
MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry: 'Buddy' Caldwell, lay off the Angola 3 already SHARE
On February 26, Albert Woodfox, one of the two remaining imprisoned members of the Angola 3 received some potentially good news. For the third time, his conviction for the 1972 murder of an officer at Louisiana State Penitentiary was overturned and a federal judge ordered Woodfox's release after more than 40 years in solitary confinement.
Instead of letting the matter be settled in court, the Louisiana attorney general couldn't help himself from responding. In doing so, he showed why this case is about more than the murder of one man. It's about the inhumanity exhibited for more than 40 years. That is why this week's letter is written to him.
MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry: 'Buddy' Caldwell, lay off the Angola 3 already SHARE
On February 26, Albert Woodfox, one of the two remaining imprisoned members of the Angola 3 received some potentially good news. For the third time, his conviction for the 1972 murder of an officer at Louisiana State Penitentiary was overturned and a federal judge ordered Woodfox's release after more than 40 years in solitary confinement.
Instead of letting the matter be settled in court, the Louisiana attorney general couldn't help himself from responding. In doing so, he showed why this case is about more than the murder of one man. It's about the inhumanity exhibited for more than 40 years. That is why this week's letter is written to him.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Solitary Watch on today's statement released by Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell about the Angola 3 SHARE
James "Buddy" Caldwell, attorney general of the state of Louisiana, has released a statement saying unequivocally that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, the two still-imprisoned members of the Angola 3, "have never been held in solitary confinement while in the Louisiana penal system." In fact, Wallace, now 71, and Woodfox, 66, have been in solitary for nearly 41 years, quite possibly longer than any other human beings on the planet. They were placed in solitary following the 1972 killing of a young corrections officer at Angola, and except for a few brief periods, they have remained in isolation ever since. The statement from Caldwell follows on the heels of a ruling by a federal District Court judge in New Orleans, overturning Albert Woodfox's conviction for the third time--in this instance, on the grounds that there had been racial bias in the selection of grand jury forepersons...
Solitary Watch on today's statement released by Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell about the Angola 3 SHARE
James "Buddy" Caldwell, attorney general of the state of Louisiana, has released a statement saying unequivocally that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, the two still-imprisoned members of the Angola 3, "have never been held in solitary confinement while in the Louisiana penal system." In fact, Wallace, now 71, and Woodfox, 66, have been in solitary for nearly 41 years, quite possibly longer than any other human beings on the planet. They were placed in solitary following the 1972 killing of a young corrections officer at Angola, and except for a few brief periods, they have remained in isolation ever since. The statement from Caldwell follows on the heels of a ruling by a federal District Court judge in New Orleans, overturning Albert Woodfox's conviction for the third time--in this instance, on the grounds that there had been racial bias in the selection of grand jury forepersons...
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Free Speech Radio News interview w/ Amnesty International on their new campaign supporting the Angola 3's Albert Woodfox SHARE
Human rights advocates, Amnesty International, has launched a new campaign calling for the release or retrial of Albert Woodfox, who has been held mostly in solitary confinement in a Louisiana state prison for more than 40 years. Woodfox's conviction for the murder of a prison guard in 1972 was overturned in 1992, but he was then retried by a Grand Jury. Last month, a federal district court again overturned his conviction finding flaws in the selection of the jury foreperson.
Woodfox and fellow prisoner Herman Wallace were convicted after just two hours by all white juries. Woodfox and Wallace are known as the Angola 3, along with Robert King, who was released in 2001 after decades in prison. They took part in organizing the Black Panther party chapter at Angola. For more, we're joined by Jasmine Heiss, an Individuals and Communities at Risk Campaigner at Amnesty International USA.
Free Speech Radio News interview w/ Amnesty International on their new campaign supporting the Angola 3's Albert Woodfox SHARE
Human rights advocates, Amnesty International, has launched a new campaign calling for the release or retrial of Albert Woodfox, who has been held mostly in solitary confinement in a Louisiana state prison for more than 40 years. Woodfox's conviction for the murder of a prison guard in 1972 was overturned in 1992, but he was then retried by a Grand Jury. Last month, a federal district court again overturned his conviction finding flaws in the selection of the jury foreperson.
Woodfox and fellow prisoner Herman Wallace were convicted after just two hours by all white juries. Woodfox and Wallace are known as the Angola 3, along with Robert King, who was released in 2001 after decades in prison. They took part in organizing the Black Panther party chapter at Angola. For more, we're joined by Jasmine Heiss, an Individuals and Communities at Risk Campaigner at Amnesty International USA.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Reforming Prison's Harshest Tactic The Angola 3 case may help change the arbitrary and sometimes abusive use of solitary SHARE
In Dec. 2012 the NYCLU filed a lawsuit to curb the use of solitary confinement in that state's prisons, broadly decrying it as "extreme isolation" that imperils the physical and psychological well-being of inmates on solo lockdown and risks undermining prison safety overall. Also in 2012, Maine lawmakers -- including a Republican governor considered tough on crime -- voted to formally ratchet back the use of solitary confinement in that state. In addition, Congress hosted a rare special hearing on the practice, highlighting the fact that the US has no federal guidelines precisely defining when solitary confinement should begin, when it should end and which infractions merit such an added punishment for prisoners. Prison watchers and reformers, however, say that incremental activity in 2012 does not in itself suggest that the nation is anywhere near a wholesale crackdown on what many...
Reforming Prison's Harshest Tactic The Angola 3 case may help change the arbitrary and sometimes abusive use of solitary SHARE
In Dec. 2012 the NYCLU filed a lawsuit to curb the use of solitary confinement in that state's prisons, broadly decrying it as "extreme isolation" that imperils the physical and psychological well-being of inmates on solo lockdown and risks undermining prison safety overall. Also in 2012, Maine lawmakers -- including a Republican governor considered tough on crime -- voted to formally ratchet back the use of solitary confinement in that state. In addition, Congress hosted a rare special hearing on the practice, highlighting the fact that the US has no federal guidelines precisely defining when solitary confinement should begin, when it should end and which infractions merit such an added punishment for prisoners. Prison watchers and reformers, however, say that incremental activity in 2012 does not in itself suggest that the nation is anywhere near a wholesale crackdown on what many...
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Freedom After 40 Years in Solitary? Supporters of one of the Angola 3 tell The Root why he might be released this time SHARE
After 4 decades of solitary confinement in the nation's most populated maximum-security prison--and one of its most historically brutal--a member of the internationally known "Angola 3" has reasonable cause to expect that he will soon be released, his attorneys and supporters say. The request to set free Albert Woodfox, 65, is being heard by the same federal judge who in 2008 ordered that Woodfox be released, a ruling that Louisiana prosecutors successfully appealed and blocked.
Woodfox and Herman Wallace, now 71, were placed in solitary confinement in 1972 -- theirs is the longest-running solo detention of which human rights group Amnesty International is aware -- after being convicted of killing a white guard at Angola prison, the slave plantation-turned-Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Both men have consistently said that they were falsely accused and that their conviction was..
Freedom After 40 Years in Solitary? Supporters of one of the Angola 3 tell The Root why he might be released this time SHARE
After 4 decades of solitary confinement in the nation's most populated maximum-security prison--and one of its most historically brutal--a member of the internationally known "Angola 3" has reasonable cause to expect that he will soon be released, his attorneys and supporters say. The request to set free Albert Woodfox, 65, is being heard by the same federal judge who in 2008 ordered that Woodfox be released, a ruling that Louisiana prosecutors successfully appealed and blocked.
Woodfox and Herman Wallace, now 71, were placed in solitary confinement in 1972 -- theirs is the longest-running solo detention of which human rights group Amnesty International is aware -- after being convicted of killing a white guard at Angola prison, the slave plantation-turned-Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Both men have consistently said that they were falsely accused and that their conviction was..
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Caged in the USA: Torture in America's many prisons SHARE
Last week, I was lucky enough to be in the audience for a truly remarkable event: a conversation between two men whose lives have been indelibly altered by American's brutal prison regime, Robert King and Omar Deghayes. At first glance, it might seem as if these two men have nothing in common. King grew up in New Orleans in an era of violent racial repression and is a Black Panther to this day; he was convicted by an all-white jury in 1973 for a murder he did not commit, and spent 32 years in Louisiana state prison. In his earliest childhood, Deghayes lived in Libya, but after his father was murdered by Gaddafi, he and his family fled to the UK. Deghayes was arrested in Pakistan in 2002, where he had been living with his Afghan wife and child, and spent over six years detained at Guantanamo without charge or trial.
Caged in the USA: Torture in America's many prisons SHARE
Last week, I was lucky enough to be in the audience for a truly remarkable event: a conversation between two men whose lives have been indelibly altered by American's brutal prison regime, Robert King and Omar Deghayes. At first glance, it might seem as if these two men have nothing in common. King grew up in New Orleans in an era of violent racial repression and is a Black Panther to this day; he was convicted by an all-white jury in 1973 for a murder he did not commit, and spent 32 years in Louisiana state prison. In his earliest childhood, Deghayes lived in Libya, but after his father was murdered by Gaddafi, he and his family fled to the UK. Deghayes was arrested in Pakistan in 2002, where he had been living with his Afghan wife and child, and spent over six years detained at Guantanamo without charge or trial.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
NY Times article on solitary confinement cites Robert King of the Angola 3 and Shane Bauer SHARE
Robert Hillary King, a former Black Panther who spent 29 years in solitary at Angola State Prison in Louisiana in a tangled case that ended with his original conviction being overturned in 2001, compared the American prison system to slavery... "When I'm asked what it was like, I kind of come up against a blank wall," said Shane Bauer, one of the three American hikers imprisoned in Iran from 2009 through 2011, who was patched in to the event by telephone. "As the months passed, I became less able to think." ...Bauer, however, answered carefully when asked if he'd rather be in solitary in Iran or at Pelican Bay State Prison, the supermax facility in Crescent City, Calif., whose conditions he recently described in an investigative report for Mother Jones. Some prisoners at Pelican Bay, he noted, have been in solitary for more than 20 years. "It's unimaginable to me, having had a glimpse...
NY Times article on solitary confinement cites Robert King of the Angola 3 and Shane Bauer SHARE
Robert Hillary King, a former Black Panther who spent 29 years in solitary at Angola State Prison in Louisiana in a tangled case that ended with his original conviction being overturned in 2001, compared the American prison system to slavery... "When I'm asked what it was like, I kind of come up against a blank wall," said Shane Bauer, one of the three American hikers imprisoned in Iran from 2009 through 2011, who was patched in to the event by telephone. "As the months passed, I became less able to think." ...Bauer, however, answered carefully when asked if he'd rather be in solitary in Iran or at Pelican Bay State Prison, the supermax facility in Crescent City, Calif., whose conditions he recently described in an investigative report for Mother Jones. Some prisoners at Pelican Bay, he noted, have been in solitary for more than 20 years. "It's unimaginable to me, having had a glimpse...
Monday, November 5, 2012
Metro UK editorial about solitary confinement in the US cites the case of the Angola 3 SHARE
It has been denounced as torture by the United Nations and is virtually unheard of in Britain. But in the US, solitary confinement is widely used, as radical cleric Abu Hamza and four other extradited terror suspects may soon discover...Supermax inmates may be held for years and even decades with virtually no human contact and this year two men in Louisiana -- Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox -- marked the grim milestone of 40 years in solitary confinement. But what is the reality of life in this environment, who is incarcerated there and what are the psychological effects of being deprived of human contact?
Metro UK editorial about solitary confinement in the US cites the case of the Angola 3 SHARE
It has been denounced as torture by the United Nations and is virtually unheard of in Britain. But in the US, solitary confinement is widely used, as radical cleric Abu Hamza and four other extradited terror suspects may soon discover...Supermax inmates may be held for years and even decades with virtually no human contact and this year two men in Louisiana -- Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox -- marked the grim milestone of 40 years in solitary confinement. But what is the reality of life in this environment, who is incarcerated there and what are the psychological effects of being deprived of human contact?
