Honoring Black History: The Last Released of the Angola 3

Louisiana State Penitentiary is called Angola, named after its previous institution which was a slave plantation. The Angola 3 consisted of former Black Panther Party members Robert King, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox. These three men were prison inmates that were accused of killing a correctional officer in 1972 in which they were sentenced to indefinite solitary confinement.

Robert King’s conviction was overturned, and he was released in 2001 after serving 29 years in solitary confinement. Herman Wallace was released in 2013 after spending 41 years in solitary confinement. Albert Woodfox was the last of the three to be released. He was granted full habeas corpus twice only to have them appealed and overturned. The state of Louisiana refused to release him and he was re-indicted. After 43 years of solitary confinement, Albert Woodfox was finally released February 19, 2016.