NCJ Number
55200
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 14-17
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE PRISON HISTORY OF A BLACK INMATE SERVING LIFE IS DESCRIBED AS HE DEVELOPED HIS JOURNALISTIC TALENT AND BECAME EDITOR OF A PRISON NEWSPAPER THAT HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION IN THE GENERAL FIELD OF JOURNALISM.
Abstract
WILBERT RIDEAU ARRIVED AT ANGOLA, A LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY, IN 1962 AT THE AGE OF 19, SENTENCED TO DIE FOR THE MURDER OF A BANK TELLER DURING A HOLD-UP. IN 1973, AFTER RECONVICTION IN TWO RETRIALS, HIS SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED TO LIFE INPRISONMENT WHEN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT DECLARED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL. DURING ONE OF HIS PRE-TRIAL STAYS AT THE BATON ROUGE JAIL IN 1967, RIDEAU MADE HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT CREATIVE WRITING. HIS FASCINATION WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOR INCREASINGLY INFLUENCED THE CONTENT OF HIS WRITING. IN TIME, HIS INTEREST TURNED TOWARD JOURNALISM, AND HE SOUGHT A POSITION ON THE PRISON NEWSPAPER, 'THE ANGOLITE.' REFUSED A POSITION BY THE ALL-WHITE EDITORIAL STAFF, RIDEAU STARTED HIS OWN ALL-BLACK PRISON NEWSPAPER CALLED 'THE LIFER MAGAZINE.' AS A RESULT OF THE ATTENTION THE PUBLICATION RECEIVED BEYOND PRISON WALLS, AN EDITOR FOR A SOUTHERN NEWSPAPER CHAIN ASKED RIDEAU TO WRITE A WEEKLY COLUMN ABOUT PRISON LIFE. THE COLUMN, CALLED 'THE JUNGLE' RAN FOR ABOUT YEAR. THEN, IN 1976, HE WAS PERMITTED TO JOIN THE STAFF OF THE NEWLY INTEGRATED 'ANGOLITE' AND A YEAR LATER BECAME THE EDITOR. THE NEWSPAPER AIMS AT REPORTING OBJECTIVELY WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE PRISON, AS IT AFFECTS ANGOLA INMATES. THE PAPER ATTEMPTS TO DEAL OBJECTIVELY WITH CONTENTIOUS ISSUES BETWEEN INMATES AND THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION, AND THUS FAR HAS MANAGED TO AVOID ALIENATION FROM EITHER GROUP. LAST YEAR THE MAGAZINE ENTERED THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARDS IN THE FIELD OF SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM, AND EMERGED AS ONE OF FIVE FINALISTS FROM A FIELD OF 118 ENTRIES. RIDEAU HOPES TO GET OUT OF PRISON TO USE HIS TALENTS IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD, BUT THIS CANNOT HAPPEN UNLESS HE IS PARDONED BY THE GOVERNOR. HE HAS BEEN REFUSED TWICE, DESPITE EXCELLENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PRISON OFFICIALS. (FCB)