Lower Mississippi Trip
Apr 28 - May 9, 2022
May 4, 2022 Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)
This morning right after breakfast we are taken by motor coach to the Louisiana State Penitentiary also known as Angola. This is about an hours ride through flat farmland. The prison is laid out in several "camps" which is a cluster of low roofed dormitories with a different them for each cluster. We stop at one camp where the "public offenders" or inmates work to raise livest ock and vegetables to feed themselves. We get off the bus and walk around the small barn area.
One of the workers brings a large work horse over to us for petting. Another stop for us is at the rodeo complex where three times a year popular rodeos are held to benefit the prisoners. They are referred to as "offenders" here. Another stop is at the Red Hat building which is a long low building that was used as cell blocks for prisoners on death row. An electric chair that is not being used any more is on display. Passengers on our bus who want to sit in the chair and have their picture taken may do so. Today not many executions are held because the lethal drugs needed to do this are not available from the drug companies.
Our last stop is at a church buildng in which five current offenders talk with us and explain the "PAWS" program (Prisners Assisting Warrior Services). This is an Offender Service Dog Training Program for Veterans. The offenders are assigned a dog to train and help Veterans who suffer from anxiety attacks and mental health issues stemming from traumatic stress disorders.
Angola used to be known as a prison holding the worst and most violent offenders. This all ended when Billy Graham and others persuaded the prison administration to allow a prison ministry to rehabilitate and reform its inmates. It led to a big reform of the prisoners. "Prisoners can be reformed if they reform in their hearts. This leads to being changed as a person," Billy Graham said. They gave it a try. The success of this faith based ministry changed the inmates on the inside and worked its way to the outside of the prisoner. It lead to a major change for the better among the inmates and staff. Today Angola is looked upon as an example to other prisons in the country.
This evening I checked out the engine room on the American Queen. Yes, there is a live steam system running horizontal cylinders that turn the paddle wheel. This system was salvaged from an older vessel when the AQ was built in 1995, overhauled, and installed. The AQ is justifiably proud of this system which requires a qualified engineer on duty whenever they have steam up.
For some reason the AQ chooses to downplay the fact that they also have two Azipod electric propulsion units aft (500 HP each) and an electric bow thruster forward. These are powered by a pair of diesel generators that also keep the lights on in the ship!
