Fishing Trip

0:15 I walk a straight line, shackled chain. Oh, gruesome Gertie is calling my name. There is no mercy in this penitentiary. Just ask the hill string gang, wrangle the three. To die inside these walls inside the wild and when the wolf cries.

1:31 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Bloody Angola. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and today I'm going to bring it back home to Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. It's been a little while since I've talked about the largest maximum security prison in the entire United States. And I came across an article in the Angolite, which for those unfamiliar, that is the magazine that is written by the prisoners themselves inside of Angola. It's been around for like a hundred years, changed over time. And every now and then I'll come across a really interesting article that I want to share with you guys and gals. And oftentimes it's what these guys that are doing good behind bars are doing and how they're rewarded for that. And I brought you a story, I think it was around this time last year, about a father-daughter dance that these guys incarcerated inside of Louisiana State Penitentiary that are doing well. They were rewarded with a father-daughter dance. It was a really touching story that I brought you. And the company that put that together, the nonprofit, is called God Behind Bars. And they've done something very unique this year, and that is... Because they had the father-daughter dance last year, the sons, I would imagine, and the incarcerated who were like, hey, what about my son? Well, they did something for them, and God Behind Bars actually

3:05 reunited incarcerated fathers with their sons on a fishing trip. And I'm going to tell you all about that today. I'm going to quote the actual article inside of the Angolite. And this is the newest edition, so I guess you could call it the October 2026 edition. And it starts out, The Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola is a study in contradictions, sitting at the end of a long, winding road. It is an enclave of men tucked into an oxbow of the Mississippi River behind the ribs of the Tunica Hills. The landscape is dotted by prison camps. outpost of confinement circled by razor wire, concrete, and guard towers. Spread over 18,000 acres and laid down for over a hundred years. Outside the fences, nature roams. They've got black bear, coyote, deer, foxes, and hogs. And at the heart of the Angola Basin lies Lake Killerman, A remnant of the Mississippi's ancient meandering course, once known as the Lake of the Cross, this body of water served the region's indigenous Tunica Indians before the arrival of slaves brought to work the fields of what became Killarney Plantation. Following the official establishment of the state prison in 1901, the lake became a recreational area for the prison's employees and their families. Killarney hosted fishing radios

4:38 in the 1980s and early 1990s, featuring professional anglers and amateurs intrigued by the opportunity of fishing behind the gates of one of the South's most notorious prisons. In early June, Lake Killarney was the spot of another first, a gathering of incarcerated fathers and their sons for a day of reconnection sponsored by the Texas-based God Behind Bars prison ministry. Coming on the heels of last November's immensely successful daddy-daughter dance that brought together fathers and daughters in a fairytale setting of pink blossoms, gowns, and tuxedos, For the fathers and sons, it was a day of unrestricted male bonding.

5:20 And incidentally, folks, full episode. Just go look for it on that father-daughter dance. A day of footballs, water balloon, horseplay and fishing with space enough along the expansive lakefront for quieter moments of exchange. Quote, fortunately, we have a wonderful warden in Warden Vanoa. That from Assistant Warden Anne Marie Easley. When I have a crazy idea like this, he's open. Responsible for programming, Easley was a driving force behind organizing the Daddy Daughter Dance and following that, a day for fathers and their sons. For the event to happen, it was also given the blessing of Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott. Quote, they see the importance of reunification, how important it is in rehabilitation, Easley said. That is what today is about.

6:11 Clearing the way for 48 inmates, most of whom were not trustees, to spend the day outside the prison's security fences without the immediate presence of gun guards was no small feat. Preparation for the event began weeks in advance, involving the facility's administration, security staff, classification, and chaplains' departments. The fathers eligible to participate were selected based upon their housing assignment, disciplinary record, in the ages of their sons. To provide a suitable spot, the event was set up at the R.H. Bubba Butler boat landing near former Camp J, which Camp J, y'all, was... For years, a notorious aspect of Angola and camp inside of Angola that held the worst of the worst. It was like a lockdown camp.

7:02 It goes on to say an area along the shore of the 475 acre lake features an open expanse of lakefront with a fishing dock and a boat ramp. backed by an open field, allowing for a discrete security perimeter to be established. A secondary problem a day of fishing posed was not a single inmate possessed a fishing license. Lake Killarney, situated on the grounds of a state facility, constitutes a state-managed body of water. The problem was solved by either divine intervention or good luck, with the event's chosen date coinciding with a pre-existing statewide free fishing weekend. Wow, that is timing. Helping to oversee the event were six agents from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Along with agents, the department sent a 24-foot enforcement boat to patrol the area. Quote, it's a free fishing weekend, LDWF Lieutenant Jared Riddle said. During this weekend, you don't need a license. As part of the LDWF's outreach programming, Riddle said the department often works to promote outdoor activities in urban areas. Quote, we do a lot of fishing events, getting the public involved. Sometimes it's the inner city, getting kids involved with fishing. So we're used to working with groups, helping with events. It's cool to be invited here to do so. Bringing together the sons with their fathers also involved a two-step process, beginning early in the morning with

8:36 the sons being transported from the facility's front gate by bus to the lakefront where the fathers waited. Initially segregated, each family was brought together, one at a time, in displays of emotional reunification. Young men and small boys running forward toward their fathers between two rows of clapping hands. chaperones. And could you imagine that? I mean, step away from what these guys did to get into prison, but their sons, obviously, their daughters, their children, no fault of theirs. And you're being reunited here. You probably thought if you're a son, you would never get the opportunity to actually fish with your dad. I mean, that's strong stuff right there, folks.

9:21 Outside supporters and a number of returning volunteers included Lisa Blanchard of Las Vegas Good Wolf Boutique and Jose Jimenez, executive chief at Dallas-Fort Worth Area's STAG, which stands for Spiritually Thrive to Awaken Growth. Chef of the Daddy Daughter Dance, Jimenez promised to return to Angola if given the opportunity. Quote, I grew up without my father, so I know what it's like to not have a strong father image in your life. Basically, my whole life, I've been praying to become the best father I can to my kids. Asked if he would like to participate again, Jimenez brought his own son, Cason. Many people are not able to have this experience, so we are lucky to be here, he said, to have this in a maximum security prison, especially in Angola.

10:10 Angola is famous and we are blessed to be here, to be able to participate and contribute and be able to look back one day and think, We were a part of that change. While the day was unrestricted and free, an opportunity for memory-making, as natural as any moment for a parent and child in the world outside of prison fences, the deeper meaning lay in the repairing of fractured bonds, or in some instances, the creation of bonds that never had the chance to exist. Quote, My son is 19 years old and I've never been a part of his life, Kevin Gilhouse said. I was a horrible dad. I was a horrible man. A soldier stationed in Germany with the U.S.

10:51 Army in the early 2000s, Gilhouse never knew a relationship he had with a German woman produced a child. At 17, his son Cameron began to question who his father was. That led to Cameron's first meeting Gilhouse in February under the abnormal structure of prison visitation policies. Quote, today was the first day I got to spend with my son. and I got to go fishing with him. A guy asked him, what does your dad mean to you? He responded, he's more than my dad. He's my mentor. That moment right there, it showed that everything we do matters. It goes on to say the problem of fatherless sons and the often unspoken psychological trauma of that absence frequently leads to generational patterns of imprisonment. According to the National Institute of Health, Louisiana is the country's highest incarcerator at four times the national average, and by extension has the highest rate of children affected by a parent in prison. Among minorities, that rate is even more pronounced, with black children in Louisiana six times more likely than their white peers to have a parent behind bars. Jeff Cooley, a mentor with the re-entry program, has spent a large portion of his life in and out of jails and prisons, primarily due to drugs and addiction. His son, Jeffrey Nunes, came to prison in 2025 as a program mentee. Prior to returning to prison in 2017, Cooley had only seen his son

12:22 four times since the age of six, after divorcing his wife. Adopted by his stepfather, Jeffrey was moved to South Texas with his last name being changed. Quote, the only time I did get to see him for two weeks, he had just turned 18 and it wasn't anything good, Cooley said. I had dope all around the house and I don't think he did any dope with me, but him and his buddies, they were doing dope and hiding it from me. I was doing dope and hiding it from them. It wasn't a good thing. We spent a week together and he went back to Texas. Three days later, I went back to prison. Both father and son then spent time in and out of prison in Louisiana and Texas, losing contact again. Quote, it kind of left us both not being able to spend time around each other until he popped up here. While attending the Father's Sunday, Nunes was in the unique position of having his own two sons present, Caleb, who was eight, and Joseph, six. Three generations impacted by separation and loss due to incarceration. Never would I have believed it. You couldn't have bet me money on it.

13:30 I'd have never thought I'd be able to have my dad, me, and my boys fishing, Nunes said. This is pretty cool. I'm not saying it's the best because we are locked up, but the fact that we get to spend time together like this is pretty amazing. For Cooley, both a father and a grandfather for the day, it was only the second occasion he had the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren. The first having come just three weeks earlier during the facility's returning hearts celebration held on rodeo grounds. Quote, this is very new to me. I haven't gotten to spend any time with any of them. It's amazing to see these kids take to me like a fish to water. They're already calling me Grandpa, like they already know that, especially when they want something. James Fine, at 68 years old, having spent more than four decades behind bars since 1982, was another father awarded the possibility of recapturing moments that should have been lost to time. Arriving to spend the day with him was his 50-year-old son, Macklin Dontane. The first time I saw him was at Camp C when he was 15, Fine said. His mama told him where his daddy was. My sister brought him to see me, and that boy wouldn't let me go. Two weeks before the father-son event, Fine's daughter passed away, scheduled to be buried the same morning as the father-son event. Fine and Daunton were able to attend the funeral by Zoom before being transported to Lake Killarney. Quote, Quote, And I'm thankful.

15:21 Aside from the quintessential father-son act of fishing, other opportunities presented themselves for traditional moments, such as cornhole boards, footballs, frisbees, large inflatable basketball, and miniature golf games. A seesaw and swings were also spread throughout the event area. Quote, dads are different. Dads like to have fun with sports, fishing. Dads are built differently. That from event coordinator Jenna Consiglio. Women are a little bit more nurturing. Men just want to have fun and be courageous and bold. To reflect that, each father was gifted with a shirt emblazoned with a biblical commandment from Joshua 1.9. to be strong and courageous. Quote, the hope is that they are coming here and being reminded that when we see them, they are still strong.

16:10 We want them to embody that and instill that in their sons. We just want it to be a day that they can be outside. What guys like to do in nature, the beauty here, being out here and seeing all the details. An unexpected opportunity for shared lifelong memories was a boat ride around Lake Killarney. a prospect unimaginable before, but one made possible by Angola's administrative staff, security, and the Louisiana police. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Fathers and sons, many of whom never experienced fishing together, found themselves motored out for trips through the cypress groves that populate the lake's southern end. The reality of prison replaced for a moment by the breath of nature that served as the often unnoticed, underappreciated backdrop to the daily harsh realities of of incarceration. For most, the magnitude of that offering was not lost. Quote, I was on a boat ride with my son for the first time ever and Camp J or Camp 57 was right there, Guildhouse said. When I first came to Angola, I went to Camp J, spent almost two years there. right there less than a football field away. And I was thinking while I was on that boat, just how awesome that was. A disciplinary camp referred to as Camp J Management Program when operated by the prison before being shuttered in 2018 and then reopened last year as an ICE detention unit. Guildhouse spent over

17:41 a year and a half on level one. the program's most restricted confinement level. Quote, We get blessings through obedience and being on that boat and looking to my left and seeing my son with a fishing pole, then looking on my right and seeing Camp J, realizing the growth in my life and the changes in my life, getting to share that with my son brought into stark reality how far I had come. He goes on to say, letting him know I was over there when I first got here and I was doing this and I was doing this and doing this. Then I gave my life to God, Guildhouse said, and now look where I'm at. For many of the fathers and their sons, most having been separated by the gulf of incarceration for decades, such moments proved transformational time and again. Passing back out from the cypress trees with the eternity of the lake spread before them and the figures of fathers and sons clustered along the landing and dock in the distance, Everett Hughes sat quietly with his son, Everett Hughes Jr. in the bow of the LDWF boat. Small alligators popped up momentarily above the surface before disappearing again. Turtles slid from logs.

18:56 Waterfowl waded among the reeds along the shore or rose up from the water to flap away from the approaching boat. At a loss for words, Hughes shook his head. This is about family, he said. For his son, the moment was about understanding his father in ways previously unavailable to him. This means something to me since I never get to see him like this when I come here and visit. He said, contrasting the institutional nature of prison visitation with an actual day spent with each other in a setting devoid of fences, bars, concrete, and the overt presence of guards. Every time I've ever come here, we just sit into the visiting shed. So this means a lot to me.

19:38 It's something different. Daryl Stovall said, nowhere I've been, they've never had anything like this. This is a blessing and I appreciate everyone who had a hand of it. Incarcerated for 20 years and having spent time at various state facilities, Stovall arrived at Angola two years ago. Sitting with his son, Caleb, beneath a large tent erected for families to gather together, the day was affirmation of life's changes and the prospect of rehabilitation through strengthened parental relationships and family ties. Quote, this is the reason why I strive every day to get home, Stovall said. pointing to his son. I gave up all the BS to be able to spend one day like this with him. It's all worth it. The day's defining moment, aside from all the opportunities for physical bonding through games and activities, came after midday, with the presentation of letters the fathers had written. Each letter served as a moment of openness and honesty to rebuild lost bridges and redefine often unspoken bonds of love between fathers and sons. Quote, I think more than fishing, more than being able to throw a football, it was the conversation.

20:49 That from Charles Chandler, whose son Jacob was three when his father was sentenced to prison 13 years ago. Quote, it gave me the chance to open my heart to him, a chance to have fun with him, a chance to shed some tears, a chance to share some laughter too. Not only did it add healing for me and Jacob's relationship, it also added healing for me and my dad. As a child, Chandler's own father was frequently absent from the home with work, resulting in anger. Quote, Going to all these sporting events, I saw everyone with their dads there, but my dad wasn't there. So there was a resentment I held toward my dad. Now me and my dad's relationship is wonderful, but what this did for me today is I told Jacob I'm sorry for every moment I've missed.

21:38 The opportunity to share an intimate moment in a natural setting offered both fathers and sons the space to lower emotional barriers and communicate with each other with openness and honesty. Quote, this makes me happy. to get to see my dad like this, just to get to see him, Jacob said. While everyone else can learn from their father, I'm glad that he actually learned from his actions, that he knows what he did wrong, that he's trying his best. Throughout the day, storm clouds hovered over the horizon, threatening heavy rain, but as if it were a gift from a higher power, the weather held until the afternoon. Seeking shelter, the event moved under a tent and a meal was served, prepared by Jimenez and Kaysen. Surveying the collection of men, young men, and small boys gathered together, the founder, Jake Bodine, offered his thoughts on the importance of bringing together incarcerated fathers and their sons. Quote, I think, number one, especially in a son's life, the role of a father plays in ultimately shaping a young man into what he's supposed to be.

22:41 to who he is ultimately becoming is vital. For Bodine, the reason for sponsoring such events as the Daddy-Daughter Dance and Father-Son Fishing Day, even when such events might be criticized by those outside of prison, is both for the rehabilitation of the individual convicted of the crime, but also, and more importantly, for the innocent children left behind who only understand that their father is missing. Quote, that haven't seen their father in years. Some of them are here meeting their father for the very first time. It is most importantly about building trust and relationship between dad and son.

23:24 Now through the conversion of phone calls and letters, there's a relationship there and he can influence his child life, hopefully ending the cycle of generational incarceration. At the end of the day, having held off just long enough, the heavens finally opened up and the rain came. Exhausted, overheated kids ran out into the downpour. Or they stood beneath the water pouring from the tent's eaves. Beneath the tent, nervous fathers prepared for their last act of the day. a line dance to the grooves of the Sugar Hill Gang, quietly rehearsing one last time before stepping out into the rain with their children to perform. I bet that was awesome.

24:05 Re-entry mentee Bobby Ross had dreaded this moment since the idea of the father dance was announced. weeks before. I didn't want to do the dance, he said, even contemplating not to attend the event if it were required. But the thought of missing a day with his son, Trace, who he'd only seen a handful of times over the past few years, outweighed all considerations. Quote, this gave me a day to be one-on-one with him, something I don't normally get to do. Today was different. We'd never been fishing and he caught four fish. I caught two. But more importantly, Ross said the day gave him the opportunity to be a father again. Quote, we talked about things I really hadn't had the chance to talk about before.

24:47 Things I've been wanting to talk to him about since I got here. Things I would not have talked to him about with someone else around. In the end, no one cared who could dance and who couldn't. Not the sons, nor the sponsors or volunteers. Not anyone who stood and watched the moment that should have never happened on an impossible day. Behind the gates of the prison, beside the lake, whose memories stretch back to a time before prisons and chains. Gathered together with their fathers in the May Prison A building, after the last son had departed, Bodine related a story of his own son. Quote, he got his driver's license back in March and two weeks later totaled the car that we had got for him. I too have stresses of a dad and I know what it's like to worry, to wonder if they're okay. I dreamt of this moment for each and every one of you to be able to express that today. He said, I love you. I know what God has done in many of your lives, and I know the men you are and the men you have become. Rehabilitation requires action bent around the concept of reformation and return. It includes accountability for those who have caused harm, but also the goal of reintegration. It calls for the rebuilding of connections and the restoration of relationships.

26:04 Whether between the one convicted in society or between family members separated by confinement, it does not call for the sins of fathers to be acted upon their sons, Bodine said. Quote, obviously there are some people who don't agree with our philosophy, the way we go about things, but what nobody can argue is that your sons deserve that moment, no matter what. And I would agree with that. For a day in prison when nothing seemed to be out of bounds, the opportunities were endless and the concept such a responsibility and rehabilitation sat in concert with fatherhood and family. The impact on the families was inestimable, but the moments and memories constituted the possibility of new beginnings for all. Quote, I want society to see that these are men. They're not animals.

26:53 Their choices that were made might have been heinous and horrible, but these are still men and God loves them. Angola chaplain Dr. Liz McGraw said, quote, I'm looking for these relationships that have been restored to continue. Now these kids have seen their dads in a different light, and I want people to see a different perspective of the prison system. I want other prisoners to think about doing things like this. I want us to be a pioneer. As usual, Angola is the pioneer, and I want them to think, hey, maybe we could do this here. And I'm going to tell you what, that was an amazing article. And I got another quick one for you today, and there's a reason why. This is the 60th anniversary of the Angola Prison Rodeo. If you want to learn all about the Prison Rodeo, past episodes, just scroll backwards, you'll find it.

27:45 But every year in October is the Angola Prison Rodeo. It sells out every single year. It is every Sunday. in October, and this, the 60th anniversary, kind of a big deal. And they had a quick article in here I also wanted to read. It's called Cowboys and Beltbuckles, and it's talking about the radio. And it starts out, Angola's inmate riders and wranglers were feted in May, honoring participants from the 2024 and 2025 radio sessions, administrative and correctional officers, radio officials, and representatives of the New Orleans Hondo Radio Fest. joined in celebrating those who braved the Bulls, Bronx, and Hard Pack Arena to entertain thousands gathered to experience the wildest show in the South. Special guests include Department of Corrections Undersecretary Jamie Lee, Assistant Secretary Renee DeLoach, and Operations Chief Seth Smith. Harvey Honore of Honore Construction, which I actually know that guy. very very well and hondo's blake cody and jordan weaver longtime radio sponsor eric lane praised the soul prism radio in the country i just wanted to tell everyone i'm really proud of the radio that was put on last april because they also y'all have it in april as well it's a spring and a fall radio y'all did a heck of a job love what i see the rough riders the blue shirts everyone did a great job Lane spoke for his father, founder of the local automotive giant Jerry Lane Enterprises, who

29:19 died in 2013. Quote, My dad would be very proud to see that rodeo. I want you to know that he loved it, just like I do, and I'm proud to be a part of it. The awards ceremony is as much part of the rodeo as the day of the event itself, a recognition of months of preparation and dedication to the convict cowboys who make it happen. The ceremony recognizes everybody who participated, both those who walked away with the coveted rodeo winner's belt buckles and those who did not. For the cowboys involved, it's an opportunity to spend an evening out of the dorm and enjoy a special meal in the company of others who know what it's like to come out of that chute on the back of a wild bronc. ante up for a round of the most dangerous card game of them all, convict poker.

30:04 Or face down a bull with nothing but one's guts in the hope of capturing a $ 500 chip from between the horns of a 110 beast in guts and glory. The rodeo is very unique, stadium announcer Andy Stewart said. We go to a lot of radios throughout the year, and this is the one everywhere I go, I tell people, if you've never been to a radio, go to Angola. A nine-time Professional Radio Cowboys Association top five announcer of the year nominee, Stewart began announcing the Angola Prison Radio in 2024. Quote, what you do is you bring a whole different idea of what a radio is. You should be commended for your professionalism and the way you conduct yourself during the radio. You are light state because this is something that makes us different than any other state.

30:52 Radio awards were presented to the Angola Rough Riders drill team with James Blackman singled out for his 20 years of participation with the team. Angola inmate competitors in the Hondo Radio Fest held in New Orleans the week before the Angola Radio were also announced for their accomplishments. And the biggest winner of the night was Travis Buckethead Johnson, awarded nine buckles for individual and team rodeo events between 2024 and 2025. Bulldogging, wild horse race, wild cow milking, convict poker, guts and glory, and the overall points champion for both years. Participants score points for their performance in the arena. with the total points for both the spring and fall installments tallied following the final October rodeo. The highest scoring participant in each event wins a cash prize, an engraved rodeo-sized belt buckle, a place in the record book, and an all-important bragging right. Johnson's rodeo performance in 2025 also secured his position in April's Hondo Rodeo Fest. But translating his experience from the confines of that 10,000 seat Angola Radio Arena to Caesars Superdome in New Orleans was something quite different. Quote, It was something I can't even describe.

32:06 I don't have any words that do it justice. It was beautiful. I started to get nervous in the middle because things were going off a little and I was thinking, how am I going to pull this off? As he had done so many times in the past, Johnson secured his victory on the final event, on the festival's final day, snatching the red Guts and Glory chip to claim the title of Angola's first convict hondo winner the three-day event offered eight of angola's cowboys the opportunity to showcase their talents in separate competition before huge crowds of radio fans on a national stage we'd always heard of the angola prison radio so we came and looked at the program you have for the rehabilitation of these gentlemen to earn their way to be able to compete on the dirt hondo co-founder blake cody said Their passion, the drive that these men have on the dirt, it inspired us. We wanted to bring it down to the Superdome and put it on a national platform and show these men that have worked so hard to rehabilitate themselves and also learn the way of the radio and the sport and have become stewards of the sport. Established in 2022 in Alabama by a group of friends interested in delivering to fans the best radio in the world, Blake said Hondo's goals have always been greater than just radio. Through its philanthropic arm, Hondo joined with the 1017 Project, founded by Jordan Weaver in 2014, a Phoenix-based project that has donated more than 800,000 pounds of beef to needy families, including to every parish

33:39 in Louisiana. Quote, There's always been an arm of Hondo that wants to give back. We needed to be introduced to this to figure out how we can make an impact, what we can do not to just make an impact to the Angola radio, but to impact the culture. How you can change culture and make culture better. Once we came here and saw this, we knew it was something we wanted to get involved with. with Angola as a mission to promote accountability, rehabilitation, and reconnection. Quote, We're going to keep going, and we hope we inspire these guys to learn this way of life, to learn the Western way of life, dedicate themselves to the sport, dedicate themselves to being better human beings, and earn the trust to be able to compete. If we can do that and get more guys involved, that's a big win for everybody.

34:23 And Hondo's effect was apparent. Quote, It was life-changing to be put in a different gear, Scott Jones said. Angola's 2025 sportsmanship buckle winner, Jones grew up less than a quarter mile from the radio arena, but never had any thought of the sport until coming to prison. Incarcerated for 16 years, he began participating in 2015. Quote, I started for bragging rights and to put a little money in my pocket, something for when I go home. I can say I did this. Selected to participate in New Orleans, Jones acknowledged his experience in Angola had prepared him. He also recognized the rehabilitative value of Hondo for those that would like to participate in that event. while being incarcerated. Quote, Stay right up free. People know they can ride, but that's not the only factor, Jones said. So maybe that's an incentive to do right. The Angola Radio is more than about cheering crowds, a meal, and belt buckles. For 1017's Weaver, experiencing the penitentiary and its prisoners for the first time was a life lesson in resilience. Quote, We heard what everyone said about the radio, but the greatest impact on my life has been you guys as people.

35:49 The radio is great. The radio is phenomenal, but it's not the story. I met men who made a decision to live a new life after what the world had called death. You have people who come to every week during the radio to watch men who are experiencing life after death, buying the products of men the world said, were dead. The program concluded with convict cowboys seated along rows of tables sharing a meal while, above, TV screens around the room, video of radios passed, and most recent displayed in action. These views of themselves that some had never seen. Casting them as spectators to the spectacle, they helped create twice a year, provided moments of recognition that were beyond certificates, buckles, awards, and words for many of them.

36:37 Perhaps the greatest reward of all, to be seen as something not defined from the past. And I thought that was pretty damn cool. And I also wanted to mention a little bit more news with Angola. I mentioned in the previous article that Camp J is now Camp 57, which is an ICE detention facility. Regardless of what you think about that, that's what it is. Well, it has been announced that they're having emergency repairs on that. Governor Jeff Landrieu renewed the state of emergency for repairs and operation of maximum security Camp J at Angola. It runs from September 25th to October 25th of this year, so it must be getting close to wrapping up. Camp J, long closed due to deterioration and security issues, has been repurposed in part as Camp 57, Louisiana lockup, to house ICE detainees under federal-state arrangement. And so that was also announced, and I just figured I'd mention that since I mentioned camp J slash camp 57 earlier. So that brought you a little bit of Angola news today. Uh, look, the first 300 episodes that I covered here on bloody Angola, all are about Angola. I stepped away from that a little while, uh, started obviously the 50 shades of evil series.

38:01 And that has been going on for quite a while. That's about to wrap up here shortly. Uh, And we'll get back to more Angola stuff, but, I mean, you can only cover so many inmates, y'all, from one prison. But we will definitely bring you news as it becomes available specifically for Angola. Thank you so much for listening. Check out the Patreon, patreon.com slash bloodyangolapodcast. You can get commercial-free early release episodes. And, look, it is holiday time, y'all. The commercials are going to increase on the regular free feed. You didn't take it for free. That's kind of the cost of admission is you've got to listen to commercials. So hit that skip button if you don't like them or if you can't even deal with that. Check us out and support us on Patreon, Bloody Angola Podcast. And you can get commercial free episodes that are released early before the regular release is released. And you'll help support the show and help me bring that to you. Couldn't do it without those people. Love them to death. And until next time, for Bloody Angola, I'm your host, Jim Chapman.

39:07 Much love. I walk a straight line, shackled chain. I walk a straight line, shackled chain. Oh, gruesome Gertie is calling my name. There is no mercy in this penitentiary. Just ask the hill string gang, a wrangle of three.

39:54 To die inside these walls inside the wild and when the wolf cries