Wonderful news from Louisiana yesterday! A Federal Judge has ordered the release of Herman Wallace - a member of the so-called Angola 3 - who has been held in solitary confinement for over 40 years. The Judge called for the “immediate release of Mr. Wallace from custody,”denying the state's motion to block his early order that overturned Herman's four-decade-old murder conviction. Unfortunately, this decision is very late in coming and Herman is currently suffering from advanced liver cancer. He has been given just days left to live.
In 1971, Herman was convicted of armed robbery and sent to Louisiana State Penitentiary – also known as Angola - to serve his sentence. In 1972 a prison guard named Brent Miller was brutally murdered. Herman along with two other prisoners (Albert Woodfox and Robert King) were convicted of the murder and put into solitary confinement. During his over forty years in isolation, Herman was a prominent voice in speaking out for prisonor's rights – and specifically against the practice of solitary confinement. For more information about his work with artist Jackie Sumell and the documentary film Herman’s House, please click here.
The news of Herman’s release is a wonderful development in his particular case and also a reminder of the work that still remains to be done to stop the harmful practice of solitary confinement. A project called Tamms Year Ten (named for a supermax facility in Tamms, Illinois) has been very successful in focusing national attention on solitary confinement. It piloted a project that created photos of people, places or dreams as requested by prisoners currently being kept in isolation at Tamms. Not only did this project expose the inhuman conditions of the prison but also significantly increased public awareness on the issue of solitary confinement. Tamms prison was officially closed in January of 2013, and all of its prisoners transferred to other facilities. To see some of the photos and to read more about the ongoing efforts of the Tamms Year Ten project click here.
The use of solitary confinement and long-term isolation is inhumane and ineffective. It has been shown to significantly exacerbate symptoms of mental illness and undermine prisoners' successful re-entry into society - thus posing a threat to both the well-being of the prisoner and public safety. To read more about the ACLU of Maine’s work on solitary confinement please click here.
