Angola 3

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The Angola 3 are Robert King Wilkerson, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace who each came into Angola Prison as young men under various circumstances in the late 1960s. Through contact with members of the Black Panthers, while inside prison, they became "politicized" and in 1971 organized a prison chapter of the Black Panther Party, an astonishing feat given the history of this brutal institution.^{[citation needed]} Under these circumstances these men organized prisoners to build a movement within the walls to de-segregate the prison, to end systematic rape and violence, for better living conditions and worked as "jail house lawyers" helping prisoners file legal papers.

During this time around the country the Black Panther Party, the anti-war movement, and other anti-establishment organizations were targeted by the F.B.I. for "political disruption and neutralization" through its COINTELPRO.

Evidence indicates that they were each charged with crimes they did not commit and targeted for being "black militants", which led to being held in solitary confinement since 1972 because of their political activities and beliefs. After organizing multiple "strikes" and "sit-ins" for better conditions they were each taken out of the general prison population, charged with murders and put into solitary confinement. They remained in solitary confinement virtually forgotten, until another former panther Malik Rahim of Common Ground Collective, and a young law student, Scott Fleming discovered that these men were still locked up in 1997. They began digging up evidence that questions the original "facts" of the investigations at Angola, raised questions about their original trials and shows proof of their innocence.

Facts indicate that they were victims of among other things, COINTELPRO tactics, fabricated evidence, and coerced witness testimony in their original trials.

One of them, Robert King Wilkerson was exonerated by the state in 2001 and released after 29 years in solitary confinement. Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox are still prisoners in solitary confinement working to get released after being nearly forgotten.

Their cases have gained international notoriety and interest over the last few years. Since his release, Robert King Wilkerson has helped build international recognition of the Angola 3. He has spoken before the parliaments in the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Indonesia, Brazil and England on the A3 and political prisoners in the U.S. King was received as a guest and dignitary by the African National Congress in South Africa and has spoken with Desmond Tutu. Amnesty International has added them to their 'watch list' of "political prisoners"/"prisoners of conscience". Through this and the wide support network for the Angola 3 from international human rights groups in many countries Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace receive hundreds of letters every month.

They have a pending civil suit 'Wilkerson, Wallace and Woodfox' vs. the State of Louisiana which the United States Supreme Court ruled has merit to proceed to trial based on the fact that their 30+ years in solitary confinement is "inhumane and unconstitutional". The outcome of this landmark civil case could eliminate long term solitary confinement in U.S. prisons.

Their cases have been covered by the media internationally and they were the subject of a 2006 documentary film "3 Black Panthers and the Last Slave Plantation".