A Window to the World Outside

When Robert Waddell passed through the gates of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola for the first time in 1978, he was sure any semblance of life was behind him.

Only 18 years old and sentenced to 50 years for armed robbery, the young man would not have much to look forward to on “The Farm.”

Twelve years later, while Waddell worked in the hobby shop, another inmate came in and began showing off roses he had whittled by hand from a block of wood. Waddell liked the idea of woodworking and picked up the hobby, too. It gave him a new purpose.

“We used to live and die by the knife,” Waddell says. “Now, I still live by the knife; I just use it to cut wood into roses.”

With a field of masterfully crafted roses spread across a table next to him at the Angola Prison Rodeo last fall, Waddell beamed with appreciation for the opportunities his artistry has afforded him.

About 70% of those inmates who enter Angola never leave. For those on the inside, the Angola Prison Rodeo offers a fun distraction and a glimpse back into the world outside the prison.

Close to 1,200 inmates work the rodeo and accompanying craft fair, and to be able to participate is considered a special privilege.

For one weekend in April and every Sunday in October, thousands of people from Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana descend on Angola to take in the rodeo—often labeled the “wildest show in the South”—and browse an eclectic selection of merchandise. Leather belts and wallets are sold next to rocking chairs, benches and dining room tables. A couple of tents down, an inmate is selling a painting of 50-year-old Michael Jackson dancing with his 20-year-old self while Jesus Christ looks down from Heaven.

As a reward for good behavior, many inmates can interact with the crowd, if approached, and will often enthusiastically talk about their craft.

“It takes me around 48 hours to finish a rose,” Waddell says. “But, what else am I going to do?”

Waddell was not a model prisoner for the first few years of his sentence, but he has come around in a positive way, thanks in large part to what he’s learned in the hobby shop. Now, he can stand by his table and sell his roses. He pulled in more than $500 at the October rodeo.

The Angola Rodeo got its start in 1965, just for the entertainment of prisoners and employees. In 1967, the rodeo was opened to the public, and by 1969, the event became popular enough to prompt a 4,500-seat arena be built.

Today, the arena seats 7,500 people and is normally filled to capacity every rodeo weekend.

While Angola brings in side acts and professionals to stock the rodeo, judge and ensure safety, inmates seeking an adrenaline rush are the ones climbing into the dirt ring with the cheers and whistles of the crowd bolstering their bravery.

“Eight years ago I couldn’t paint a smiley face,” says Matthew Morgan, a trustee-level prisoner who sells drawings of cowboys and Western life. “I was interested in art, so I bought a few books and had to teach myself.”

The Pineville native, now decorated with several judge’s ribbons for his work, had never tried his hand at art before arriving at Angola 15 years ago.

“Oh, it’s cold-blooded competition out here,” Morgan says with deadpan humor. “Guys take this festival seriously and put everything they can into it.”

With less than five years left on his sentence, Morgan is looking forward to reuniting permanently with his family.

His art will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“The rodeo has been a great opportunity for me and a lot of these guys,” Morgan says. “It gives you a chance to create positive things. We need this positive to counter all the negative.”

The Angola Prison Rodeo is held April 21-22. For more information and tickets, visit angolarodeo.com.