Wilbert Rideau

Since his 2005 trial and release after 44 years in prison, former Angolite editor and award-winning journalist Wilbert Rideau has continued to devote himself to educating people about the realities of the world behind bars.

Wilbert has spoken widely since his release on the subjects of the justice system, prison, and journalism. He regularly speaks at Continuing Legal Education training sessions and legal conferences.

His autobiography, In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance, will be in bookstores in April 27, 2010 and can be ordered at Random House. More than a tale of personal transformation and triumph, it is also the story of how the Louisiana State Penitentiary changed from the bloodiest prison in America to one of the safest. His vantage point as editor of the nation’s only uncensored prisoner-produced publication for 25 years lends the book unique insight and dispels many popular misconceptions about both the keepers and the kept.

Read an excerpt from Wilbert’s book here