ANGOLA PRISON, LOUISIANA. USA. Prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary waiting to take part in the ‘Angola Prison Rodeo’ in October 2014. The twice annual rodeo event was started in 1967 and is the longest running prison rodeo in the United States. One of the former inmates and a rodeo star at the time, Jack Favor, was the man instrumental in working with the prison staff to establish the ‘The Prison Rodeo’ concept. The original criminal case and wrongful conviction of Jack Favor (for an alleged double murder in 1964) was well-publicized trial at the time. He was sentenced to life but later released in 1974 after he was rightfully cleared of the crime. Today, the selected prisoners who take part in the twice annual rodeo ride on horses and avoid large bulls all reared within the 18,000 prison grounds. Angola - known as the ‘Alcatraz of the South’- is the largest maximum-security prison in the US holding some 6,300 inmates and housing 1,800 staff on the sprawling grounds. The all day rodeo takes place within a purpose-built prison stadium that seats 10,000 spectators- many of whom are family and relatives of the inmates. The rodeo events don’t hold back - bareback riding, barrel racing, wild cow milking and even some 1,800 pound bulls charging at volunteer prisoners while they sit and play poker whilst at a table with the last inmate still sat winning the cash!! (Convict Poker) Injuries are common but for these inmates, many of whom are ‘lifers’, this is a day in the year they mostly look forward to- despite the danger! I was allowed special access to mix with the somewhat pensive inmates before the events began. #rodeo #prison #inmate #angola #louisiana #thesouth #usa #horses #bulls #prisoners #barebackriding #bullriding #convict #poker #gutsnglory (at Angola Prison Rodeo)
