Saturday, March 22, 2008

Conyers Visits Inmates at Louisiana State Prison

For Immediate Release

March 21, 2008

(Washington, DC)- Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and several members of his staff toured the Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary with Louisiana Secretary of Public Safety and Corrections James "Jimmy" LeBlanc, Angola Prison Warden Burl Cain, and other state officials. He released the following statement about his visit:

“I came to Baton Rouge to meet with inmates Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox because I recently became aware of evidence that may suggest both Mr. Wallace and Mr. Woodfox were wrongly convicted of a 1972 murder of a prison guard. They have been held in solitary confinement for thirty-six years, possibly a longer period than any other inmate in U.S. history. I urge a swift and just resolution of this matter. While I was hoping to meet with Governor Bobby Jindal, I regret scheduling conflicts prevented the Governor from meeting with me today. I look forward to the opportunity to talk with him in the near future. I thank Secretary LeBlanc, Warden Cain and their associates for the courtesy they have shown us on this visit.”

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