About the Author…

The author, Bill Kissinger, is a 70-year-old gentleman who served over 4 decades in what was once called “The Bloodiest Prison in America”. He went to Angola State Prison in Louisiana in 1974…and SURVIVED. A feat of will and perseverance in itself, in a world where there were murders committed on average of every two weeks, and aggravated assaults every single day.

During his time in prison, he did everything: picked and chopped cotton, sugarcane, hoed long rows in freezing cold and burning heat, clerked, served as an Inmate Counsel Substitute (and was directly responsible for getting 3 prisoners off of Death Row!), and won 2 major civil rights lawsuits against the Wardens and Security.

Bill Kissinger was a longtime inmate at Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana. He was serving a life sentence for murder and manslaughter. In 2016, Kissinger was transferred from Angola to another prison after he corresponded with Maya Lau, a reporter for The Advocate newspaper, about possible improprieties at the prison.

Kissinger’s transfer was widely seen as retaliation for his whistleblowing. He filed a lawsuit against the prison administration, alleging that his First Amendment rights had been violated. In 2018, a judge ruled in Kissinger’s favor and ordered him to be returned to Angola and restored all rights.

Kissinger’s lawsuit brought to light a number of problems at Angola State Prison, including corruption, mismanagement, and violence. Kissinger has also spoken out about the prison’s harsh conditions and its use of solitary confinement.

Kissinger’s Conflicts with the Angola Administration

Kissinger has been involved in a number of conflicts with the Angola administration over the years. In 1995, he won a whistleblower case after he was retaliated against for exposing the relabeling and sale of expired cans of food. In 2016, he was transferred to another prison after he corresponded with a reporter about possible improprieties at the prison.

Kissinger has also been outspoken about the prison’s harsh conditions and its use of solitary confinement. In 2015 he was placed in solitary confinement for 18 days after he was accused of defying a prison guard. He spent the next 6 months in a isolation “working cellblock”.

Kissinger’s conflicts with the Angola administration have made him a target for retaliation. He has been subjected to a number of disciplinary actions, including transfers, solitary confinement, and loss of privileges.

Prediction on the Future of Angola State Prison

Angola State Prison is facing a number of challenges, including overcrowding, understaffing, and aging infrastructure, and a court. The prison is also under pressure to improve its conditions in order to comply with the Eighth and Thirteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. AND, they have to deal with a radical, ultra-Conservative, vengeful Governor who is vowing to reverse the Criminal Justice Reform successes of the John Bel Edwards administration.

It is possible that Angola State Prison will be closed in the future. However, it is also possible that the prison will continue to operate, but with significant changes to improve its conditions.

He was released on March 30th, 2023, graduated from the Louisiana Parole Project Intensive Training Course, and since then has dedicated his time and energy into helping others who were recently released after decades of prison. The mission continues…