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Wilbert Rideau

ウィルバート・ライドー

Wilbert Rideau

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1942-02-13 （Louisiana, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Lake Charles, Louisiana (childhood) → Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), Louisiana → New Orleans (post-release / activity)

Career

Occupations
Author, Journalist, Radio correspondent, Documentary filmmaker, Editor (prison publication)
Active Years
1975-
Influenced
Influence on prison journalism movement

Education

W. O. Boston High School
Country: United States
Formal schooling did not extend beyond ninth grade. Self-educated extensively while incarcerated.

Awards

George Polk Award
1979
Work: Articles in The Angolite ("The Other Side of Murder", "Prison: The Sexual Jungle")
Organization: George Polk Awards organization
Result: 受賞
Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
Work: The Angolite (reporting)
Organization: Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
Result: 受賞
American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award
Work: The Angolite (reporting)
Organization: American Bar Association
Result: 受賞
Sidney Hillman Award
1981
Work: Contributions to The Angolite
Organization: Sidney Hillman Foundation
Result: 受賞
Dayton Literary Peace Prize
2011
Work: In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance
Organization: Dayton Literary Peace Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Life Sentences: Rage and Survival Behind Bars

1992 Anthology / Journalism

An anthology compiling articles from The Angolite, conveying life inside prison and voices of inmates.

Prison lifeRedemptionHuman rights

The Wall Is Strong: Corrections in Louisiana

1991 Textbook / Compendium

A compendium of essays and articles on corrections in Louisiana, used as a textbook; many pieces originated in The Angolite.

Corrections systemPolicy

In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance

2010 Memoir / Non-fiction

A memoir recounting 44 years at Angola, the legal history of his case, and his rehabilitation and writing while incarcerated.

RedemptionJudicial injusticeRehabilitation
Adaptations
  • [Film (documentary)] The Farm: Angola, USA / Jonathan Stack, Liz Garbus (1998)

Bibliography

  • Life Sentences: Rage and Survival Behind Bars (1992)
  • The Wall Is Strong: Corrections in Louisiana (1991)
  • In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance (2010)

Adaptations

  • The Farm: Angola, USA (documentary, 1998)
  • The Farm: 10 Down (follow-up documentary, 2009)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Journalistic, direct proseMemoiristic non-fiction approach emphasizing testimony and lived experience
Recurring Motifs
IncarcerationRedemption and rehabilitationRace and judicial injustice

Legacy

Wilbert Rideau became a leading figure in prison journalism as editor of The Angolite, winning major journalism awards. His case produced a Supreme Court precedent (Rideau v. Louisiana), and his long incarceration followed by writing and public speaking influenced debates about rehabilitation.

In Popular Culture

  • Featured subject in the documentary The Farm: Angola, USA

Quotes

  • "the most rehabilitated prisoner in America"
    Source: Life magazine (1993 article) (1993)

Trivia

  • Known as one of the first African-American editors of a prison newspaper in the United States.
  • His 1961 conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court; he was finally convicted of manslaughter in 2005 and released after serving nearly 44 years.
  • As editor of The Angolite he won awards including the George Polk Award.