Solitary

Unbroken by four decades in solitary confinement. My story of transformation and hope.

By: Albert Woodfox

Narrated by: JD Jackson

Solitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary confinement - in a six-foot by nine-foot cell, 23 hours a day, in notorious Angola prison in Louisiana - all for a crime he did not commit. That Albert Woodfox survived was, in itself, a feat of extraordinary endurance against the violence and deprivation he faced daily. That he was able to emerge whole from his odyssey within America’s prison and judicial systems is a triumph of the human spirit, and makes his book a clarion call to reform the inhumanity of solitary confinement in the US and around the world.

Arrested often as a teenager in New Orleans, inspired behind bars in his early 20s to join the Black Panther Party because of its social commitment and code of living, Albert was serving a 50-year sentence in Angola for armed robbery when on April 17, 1972, a white guard was killed. Albert and another member of the Panthers were accused of the crime and immediately put in solitary confinement by the warden. Without a shred of actual evidence against them, their trial was a sham of justice that gave them life sentences in solitary. Decades passed before Albert gained a lawyer of consequence; even so, 16 more years and multiple appeals were needed before he was finally released in February 2016.

Remarkably self-aware that anger or bitterness would have destroyed him in solitary confinement, sustained by the shared solidarity of two fellow Panthers, Albert turned his anger into activism and resistance. The Angola 3, as they became known, resolved never to be broken by the grinding inhumanity and corruption that effectively held them for decades as political prisoners. He survived to give us Solitary, a chronicle of rare power and humanity that proves the better spirits of our nature can thrive against any odds.

©2019 Albert Woodfox. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Solitary is evidence of Woodfox’s extraordinary mental resilience in the face of relentless state cruelty.... An indictment of the US criminal justice system that should be read for generations.” (The Globe and Mail)

“Shocking... An astonishing true saga of incarceration that would have surely faced rejection if submitted as a novel on the grounds that it never could happen in real life.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Sage, profound and deeply humane, Albert Woodfox has authored an American testament. Solitary is not simply an indictment of the cruelties, absurdities and hypocrisies of the criminal justice system, it is a call to conscience for all who have allowed these acts to be done in our name.” (Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope and staff writer at The New Yorker)

Amazing Trial of Perseverance

narrator was great, struggle was real but outcome was heartfelt. A little repetitive in parts but I'd imagine this was fine on purpose to really understand the circumstances

Harrowing! Enlightening! Hard to listen to!

It was hard to believe the injustices experienced by the author and his comrades the Angola three. It was not easy to listen to the unsentimental account of the these injustices, 4o years of solitary confinement and multiple miscarriages of justices in Louisiana USA. But I am glad I did. If Albert Woodfox had to endure it, and maintained his sanity and humanity then I could listen to it. The book stands as a testament for change. The book offers irrefutable evidence of systematic racism and injustice within the very fabric of our system. I am grateful to Mr. Woodfox for his courage and endurance, his intelligence and lack of self pity. He is truly a man of steel! If you live on American soil under the American system then you need to listen to this book.
Thank you Mr. Woodfox!

Life Changer! We as humanity need this book today more than Ever as our human rights are being taken away daily!

WOW
This book had the biggest impact on me from all others i have read on here
it was So inspirational
gave me hope not only in the strength of human spirit, but also hope in humanity to come together from all walks of life and stand up for each other, for what’s right
for the injustice that the top 1% is doing upon the other 90%
Woodfox and the Angola 3 are true heroes
not only for surviving hell more than half of their lives, but for using it to change humanity for the better: true survival of the spirit
Thank you Mr. Woodfox!!

Also Kudos to JD Jackson
Best narration Ever on here!
Gave Woodfox and his story the true soul and made you feel you were there fighting alongside them

Thank you!
I hope everyone reads this book and will recommend to everyone i know!
ih

Life Changing

5 stars across the board. Albert Woodfox’s story is truly life changing. Well-written, beautifully narrated, and thoroughly researched.

Powerful, Enlightening, and Devastating all at the same time

This book should is a MUST read for everyone. I cried, I was angered, and I was touched by this book. I listened with an open heart and an open mind, and I can truly say this book has changed my understanding of our criminal justice system.

A compelling story about an amazing man

Albert Wood is a man of integrity and unbelievable strength of mind and will. What happens to Albert is wrong and unacceptable. I believe this is a must read book for anyone that wants to know about the injustices of the American criminal justice system. Once I started this book I could not put it down. It is well told and well written. This is a book that everyone should read.

Must listen !

An amazing life to live through and come out positive, great stories and details! Albert Woodfox you were a wonderful person and will be missed by so many 💕🌻 thank you for leaving us this gift .

Amazing human triumph over brutal racism

Albert Woodfox’s survival and triumph over the brutal racist treatment he received from our judicial system and from guards and lawyers and US state officials is an amazing story. It is also an indictment of our judicial system that needs to be read and understood by officials at the state and national level and policymakers to change the system.

a must read

This book has taught me that there is much more we as society need to do for the restoration of humanity but above all freedom isn't what is around us rather but it lays in our mind and soul.

Indeed, he was unbroken and also unbowed

Albert Woodfox endured man's inhumanity to man in one of the worst ways. He, Herman, and King were denied justice under the law. The state of Louisiana by the way of people who had no humanity or empathy were determined to keep them in prison and solitary confinement under any means necessary, including by lying and false testimony. How many others have suffered the same injustice and did not have the determination the Angola Three had and have already died falsely imprisoned? This story was a very eye-opening story of the plight of those falsely incarcerated. Forty-four years, forty-four years, forty-four years. Let that sink in.