The Louisiana State Penitentiary (… also known as Angola …) is a prison farm in Louisiana operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is the largest maximum security prison in the United States …

I listened to a BBC audiocast:

… two US inmates have been held in solitary … for what will be 40 years this month.

The two were originally imprisoned for armed robbery.

The men who later became known as the Angola 2 were linked to the Black Panther party, and fought for better prison conditions for the black inmates, and an end to the widespread rape and harsh work conditions.

While in prison there, they were charged with the murder of a prison guard, and convicted on the evidence of a prison inmate who had been promised his freedom if he testified against them.

… The use of solitary confinement is on the increase in the US – we ask are there good reasons for its use, and whether it is compatible with US and international law.

I have no confidence at all that the American tough on crime laws are effective. Angola would be the place to start an investigation.