Thursday, September 04, 2025
PMT: Alligator Angola
The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana has a long and tragic history. Built in 1901 on the site of several plantations, it has a reputation for being quirky (they had a rodeo) and horrible (it was the site of deadly forced labor for decades). It is currently the largest maximum security prison in the nation, a fact driven in part by Louisiana's very high violent crime rate and equally high rates of incarceration (apparently the mass incarceration is not stemming the crime.... hmmm).
The Mississippi River borders the prison on three sides, creating a natural barrier. It actually contains a 9-hole golf course which was built by prisoners but only available to the staff of the prison.
Now ICE wants to house immigration detainees at Angola. They are open about the fact that they want the reputation of the place to lead immigrant so to choose self-deportation. They may be right about that.
