How to Die in Prison

Wilbert Rideau went to prison in 1961 at the age of 19 for killing a woman during a bungled bank robbery. Prison changed him. He became the editor of the award-winning prison magazine The Angolite and was released with time served in 2005. His new memoir, In the Place of Justice, describes his 44 years behind bars.

Special correspondent Wilbert Rideau is editor-in-chief of the award winning prison magazine The Angolite. He's also an inmate of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, serving a life term for murder. When the prison was under a state of emergency in 1990, warden John P. Whitely was hired. In his five year tenure, Whitely's management style helped turn the prison around garnering national and international attention. It also gained the attention of the inmates, who recently hosted a farewell dinner in honor of the departing warden.

Terry speaks with Wilbert Rideau, an inmate serving a life term at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. He reports on various aspects of life, culture and rehabilitation at the penitentiary. This segment will focus on the issue of literacy, education programs and self-education at Angola. These reports from prison have been arranged in cooperation with prison officials, who administer a number of outreach programs to educate the public about prison policies and rehabilitation efforts. Rideau is an eighth grade dropout and taught himself to write while in prison.