Angola Prison, located in Angola, Louisiana, is the United States largest maximum security prison and is one of the most dangerous and bloody prisons in the US. Angola is an old slave plantation that covers over 18,000 square acres. The prison is named Angola because many of the slaves that were on the plantation came from Angola in Africa. The population of the prison is 80% black and 20% white, while the administrative personnel is 100% white. One of the black prisoners is George "Ashanti" Witherspoon. In January 1972, while under the influence of LSD, he committed a robbery in Shreveport, LA which resulted in a shootout between him and the police. Two police were shot and Ashanti was shot twice in the leg and once in the head. Luckily, everyone survived. Two months later, Ashanti was sentenced to 75 years in a maximum security prison at Angola. .
The theme of the documentary is to show people on the outside world what it's like in prison and how there really is a sense of community within the walls. People often refer to and treat convicts and prisoners with caution and callousness. They often oversee the fact that prisoners and convicts had their own lives and that they are still human. The documentary, "The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison", puts many faces on prisoners. One of Angola's success stories was that of George Ashanti Witherspoon. In the film, Ashanti is seen working in different programs at Angola, speaking to others about the dangers of destructive decisions and experiences in prison to discourage others on the path to imprisonment. Despite his long sentence, Ashanti embraced prison life in the best way possible; he became a counselor for new inmates and was involved in various programs and activities to better himself and to help him deal with reality behind bars. He also participated in several projects with different organizations. His goal was to redevelop his life and to do in prison everything that he should have done as a member of society.
Prison? ... Angola is a prison over 100-years-old covering 18,000 acres of gorgeous land alongside the Mississippi river. ... He stated that life is not over simply because you are in Angola. ... George Crawford is a 22-year-old African American with little education. ... Ashanti Witherspoon, and African American, faces 75 years in prison for an armed robbery in which two police officers were wounded. ...
