Daily Times

At the sprawling Louisiana prison known as “Angola,” inmates clad in black and white stripes go toe-to-toe with horses and bulls at a unique rodeo event now in its 57th year. The rodeo, described on its website as the “wildest show in the south,” features about a dozen events in which prisoners and professional cowboys compete under the watchful eyes of prison guards and the viewing public.

Like a typical fair, children in attendance can take a ride on a merry-go-round or trot around on a horse, but this outdoor area is surrounded by barb-wired fence and watchtowers. In the dirt-floored arena, inmates in striped uniforms, helmets and cowboy hats walk around freely and prepare for their upcoming shows.

In addition to traditional rodeo fixtures such as bull riding, the Angola Rodeo also includes more daring challenges such as “Convict Poker” — in which four inmates sit around a table with a wild bull set loose. The last man remaining seated wins. There’s also “Guts & Glory,” which is “perhaps the most exciting” event, according to the rodeo’s website.

In the competition, several inmates attempt to be the first to grab a poker chip that’s been tied to the “meanest, toughest Brahma bull available.” Convicts have taken part in the rodeo since 1965 at the prison, which is formally known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The facility, the largest maximum security prison in the United States, sits on the site of a former slave plantation, and was previously known for its horrific violence and harsh living conditions.

The rodeos have become increasingly popular, attracting several tens of thousands of people each year. An admission fee goes to funding for inmate support programs. These competitions allow them to earn money by participating in the events or by selling to the public handicrafts — wooden sculptures, paintings or even models — made by their own hands behind bars.