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An honor to spend time yesterday w/Albert Woodfox in our D.C. office. Mr. Woodfox spent over 40 yrs in solitary confinement at Angola prison for a crime he did not commit. @NAACP_LDF Litigation Dir @SamSpital was on the team of attys that secured his 2016 release. 
Mr. Woodfox’s memoir tells his story.The only purpose of solitary confinement he says is “to break the human spirit.”The discipline & commitment to human dignity he learned as a member of the Black Panther Party & his deep friendship w/fellow inmates helped him remain “unbroken.”
Mr. Woodfox also spoke with reverence about his mother, her sacrifices, and the lessons she taught that remain with him. Sitting with his lawyer @SamSpital, he read a poem he wrote about her that appears in the book, Solitary. I love that Thurgood Marshall is looking on.
After Mr. Woodfox’s presentation, we talked about the lingering effects of solitary confinement, but also the strength and resilience that brought him through and that he hopes can encourage those who are in despair. Hard to describe how moving and inspiring this was. @NAACP_LDF
Solitary confinement over decades. How do you survive it? “It was a daily fight to hold on to my sanity,” Mr. Woodfox explained.
Read Mr. Woodfox’s memoir, Solitary. He fought for reforms at Angola but there is still a long way to go. We must end long term solitary confinement. Read the @nytimes book review of Solitary. nytimes.com/2019/03/04/boo…
