Giles Clarke: Angola Prison Rodeo at the “Alcatraz of the South”
A 45-year-old tradition at Louisiana State Penitentiary
Giles Clarke is a social documentary photographer based in New York City known for his work in Haiti, Bhopal, and with the Occupy movement. We met at Photoville in Brooklyn this summer and I am honoured to publish his work. His diverse career includes producing TV segments for Channel 4, and tour visuals for Paul Oakenfold. Clarke began his serious work and dedication to activism with a 6-week stint in Bhopal, India where he filmed and photographed the victims of the Union Carbide gas tragedy. Clarke continues working closely with the Bhopal Medical Appeal on raising awareness. An image from his series ‘Prison Pit’ made in El Salvador was featured in CNN’s A Year In Pictures.
![Photos and text Giles Clarke, assisted by Lawrence Sumulong.
Angola is home to 6,200 inmates, 83 of them on Death Row. There are 1,600 staff members overseeing operations. According to Louisiana State Penitentiary PR Director Gary Young, "On any given Sunday in October (or Saturday in April), there are approximately 160 offenders that participate in the event. There is no limit on how many can participate in each rodeo, however there are certain events [where] there are more requests to participate than available slots allow. All applicants are accepted as long as they meet certain requirements, such as medical standards. They also have to be medium or minimum custody. No maximum custody are allowed to participate. All applicants are screened by security to ensure that they pose no security risk. There are approximately 1,500 offenders that participate in arts, crafts, bands and food support."](https://i0.wp.com/acurator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Giles-Clarke-Angola-Prison-Rodeo-aCurator-16.jpg?fit=525%2C350&strip=none&ssl=1 "Giles Clarke: Angola Prison Rodeo at the \"Alcatraz of the South\"")
![Joe, #509080, is serving life with no chance of parole for second degree murder. He is the reigning Angola Prison Rodeo Champion and dons a belt buckle to prove it. "I don't have a pectoral muscle in my left shoulder. It got gored out a few years back by one of these bulls," he told me. "Last week, I won the pinball: last man standing in the hoop while the bulls charge us! Today, I'm going for 'Guts and Glory' prize. That's where they put the chip on the bull's forehead and we have to try get it. It's $500 if you can pluck that chip." I told him that sounds dangerous, to which he replies, "Yeah, but what else am I gonna do? [That's] a lot of money in Angola!"](https://i0.wp.com/acurator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Giles-Clarke-Angola-Prison-Rodeo-aCurator-07.jpg?fit=525%2C350&strip=none&ssl=1 "From the series: Giles Clarke: Angola Prison Rodeo at the “Alcatraz of the South”")
