In this episode of Bloody Angola Woody Overton and Jim Chapman tell the story of legendary Warden Burl Cain. Burl Cain was the longest serving Warden in the history of Louisiana State Penitentiary and his vision and reforms changed this historic prison forever. This docu-series is the most anticipated and sought after we have ever done on Bloody Angola Podcast and it starts now!
#BloodyAngolaPodcast #BurlCain #Becomingthewarden #Louisianastatepenitentiary #PrisonWarden #Podcasts #Dixoncorrectionalinstitute #DCI #MDOC
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FULL TRANSCRIPT BELOW
BECOMING THE WARDEN: THE LEGACY AND LEGEND THAT IS BURL CAIN PART 1
Jim: Hey, everyone, and welcome back to Bloody-
Woody: -Angola.
Jim: A podcast 142 years in the making.
Woody: The Complete Story of America's Bloodiest Prison.
Jim: And I'm Jim Chapman.
Woody: And I'm Woody Overton.
Jim: And we're back, Woody Overton.
Woody: Back in the saddle.
Jim: Back in effect.
Woody: Back in effect.
Jim: And we're bringing y'all a hell of a story today. Highly requested.
Woody: Yes. A legend.
Jim: Legend. Someone you have some experience with.
Woody: I do. I have a lot of years of experience with him. Solid dude. They can say whatever they want to. Everybody's going to have their haters or whatever. And certainly, he marches to the beat of a different drummer, but he's a visionary and has affected so many lives.
Jim: Boy, he sure has. And I'll tell you, as far as research, I've probably enjoyed researching this man more than just about anyone I've researched.
Woody: I've read his book years ago when it came out. Of course, I have the family history at Angola and all that, and of course, my personal history with him. Just super, super intelligent, super unique.
Jim: Yeah, very. I think that's a great word to describe him. And of course, if you're hanging by a thread right now trying to figure out who we're talking about, it is the legendary warden of Angola, Burl Cain. So, we're going to start off and we're just going to take you through a journey of his life.
Woody: Yeah. And I think it's so important, this research that you put together, a lot of it I didn't know, especially about the early years. And I don't know how they haven't made a movie about him yet, honestly.
Jim: It's got to be coming at some point.
Woody: Y'all, we've done a couple of series before, but not real long ones or anything. But it's going to be several parts to this. But you got to stay tuned because every one of them is going to kick you.
Jim: Yeah. So, to start off, he was born in Pitkin, Louisiana, and I was not familiar with Pitkin.
Woody: Small town in Vernon Parish.
Jim: Vernon Parish. And for those of you that are kind of wondering where Vernon Parish is, that's on the Texas line. It's in the center of the state all the way to the westernmost.
Woody: If you're familiar with Toledo Bend, the largest lake and kind of splits Louisiana. Texas too, but fantastic for fishing, all that. It's real close to that. Kind of a piney woods area, but really, really rural. Shit, there's not even any major highways to get over there. From off the Interstate 49, which runs north and south, splits the state. Shit, it's probably hour and a half, two hours from there.
Jim: Yeah. And he actually described it in an interview one time, and he said, "We didn't even have a stoplight."
Woody: Yeah, well, my hometown still doesn't have a stoplight.
Jim: [laughs] So, you think about that, folks. He went from that to warden of the largest maximum-security prison in the United States which, first of all, goes to show you that it doesn't matter where you're from, it doesn't matter, hard work and really destined. I think he was kind of touched by God to do what he does. He's 80 years old as of today.
Woody: So, he is a couple of years younger than my dad. Actually, maybe one year because my dad was born the week before Peral Harbor, and he was born on July 2nd, 1942.
Jim: And still going.
Woody: Still going, very, very healthy.
Jim: We're going to get into that.
Woody: But he grew up on a farm, y'all, that's where he developed his work ethic. And let me tell you something, this dude can work.
Jim: Let me tell you, if you're 80 years old-- look, if I make 80, I'm considering that a success. When yo...