Albert Woodfox was one of the “Angola Three” prisoners, who were held in solitary confinement for decades, before his post-release life as a prison reform activist.
- Died: August 4, 2022 (Who else died on August 4?)
- Details of death: Died in New Orleans of complications from COVID-19 at the age of 75.
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Record-setting solitary confinement
As a young man, Woodfox was convicted of armed robbery and sent to the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison. In his early years there, Woodfox was inspired by the teachings of the Black Panthers, and along with two fellow inmates, he founded a chapter of the group at the prison. When prison guard Brent Miller was murdered in 1972, Woodfox and fellow Black Panthers leader Herman Wallace were convicted of his murder, despite contradictory evidence, and sentenced to solitary confinement. He was kept in solitary for more than 43 years, longer than any other prisoner in U.S. history, in a violation of the United Nations guideline that more than 15 days in solitary confinement constitutes torture.
Woodfox’s imprisonment gained the attention of Amnesty International, which considered him a prisoner of conscience and called for his release. After several appeals, including a U.S. district judge’s order for Woodfox to be released and a reversal of that decision, he was released in 2016, the last of the Angola Three to go free. Many believed that the Angola Three were not guilty of killing Miller and were framed for the crime, including Miller’s widow. A warden noted that the men were held in solitary because of their founding of the Black Panther chapter.
After his release from prison, Woodfox became a noted public speaker and champion of prison reform. He published the memoir, “Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement. My Story of Transformation and Hope,” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.
Notable quote
“Our cells were meant to be death chambers but we turned them into schools, into debate halls. We used the time to develop the tools that we needed to survive, to be part of society and humanity rather than becoming bitter and angry and consumed by a thirst for revenge.” —from a 2021 interview for the Guardian
Tributes to Albert Woodfox
Full obituary: The Washington Post
