The Louisiana sun beats down on the faces of laborers working between rows of harvesting crops. With wooden shovels in hand, these imprisoned workers spend hours under the close examination of officers on horseback. They have minimal breaks, skin protection or shelter 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 those incarcerated work long hours of intense farm labor. According to an article on PBS news, the prison is often referred to as “Angola,” as most slaves that worked on the plantation were from the country of Angola. 

Before emancipation, enslaved people would work in the fields continuously from sunrise through the late hours of the night. Incarcerated individuals today work in the same fields in unsafe conditions. In other words, inmates working in the fields under the strict control of guards parallels the brutal conditions that enslaved people endured. It is almost as if slavery was never abolished on that property. 

On Aug. 24, I visited the New Orleans Historic Collection museum with the Tulane University’s NTC College Scholars Program. As a part of my orientation, students were given the opportunity to engage in an off-campus cultural excursion. Upon visiting the museum, I explored an exhibit dedicated to incarceration in Louisiana. It was at that exhibit that I became fascinated with researching the Angola Prison further, including the repulsive conditions that actively persist there. The prison is a mere two hours away from New Orleans and the Tulane community, meaning there are enslavement-like conditions persisting exceptionally close by. 

Ultimately, forced agricultural labor has continued at Angola Prison for almost 200 years. The activity of Louisiana’s incarceration system is comparable to slavery tactics, domination and punishment. Incarcerated workers are paid close to nothing for completing their work, and if they refuse, they receive nothing and endure punishment. 

An article published in The Washington Post included a quote from 49-year-old Terrance Winn concerning the conditions in Angola. He described working there as experiencing the treatment that his enslaved ancestors did.  

While many of the prisoners in Angola are serving several decades or life sentences behind bars, Louisiana’s high incarceration rate should be considered in the context of Angola. Louisiana has one of the highest incarceration rates in the U.S., arresting 596 people for every 100,000. The transition between mass enslavement and mass incarceration in Louisiana is unquestionable.  

Some may argue that due to the violent nature of the crimes, many of these inmates deserve to be in detention centers where they must complete hard labor. Additionally, some may argue that it is beneficial for prisoners to keep their days occupied. 

However, we must consider the conditions that they are working in. Prisoners work outside throughout Louisiana’s summer months when the weather can hit record highs of 114 degrees. Ultimately, these are unsafe conditions for any human. When there is a legacy of violence, abuse and horrendous practices, it is worth consideration from the outside community.  

As Tulane students, we are a part of a community that welcomes inclusivity and diversity. Being a part of this environment, I make sure to prioritize engagement with the larger New Orleans and Louisiana society. I take time to educate myself and recognize communities outside the Tulane bubble and the narratives of those suffering in inhumane environments close to me. I believe that the Angola Prison is a blatant threat to human rights and reflects a dire need for criminal justice reform in Louisiana. Prison systems should commit to addressing rehabilitation in society and promoting public safety. The Angola Prison emulates enslavement.