Angola Prison
Through a program facilitated by the nonprofit Lifeline Global, qualifying inmates at the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola Prison) are allowed to spend a few hours in person with their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews during the carnival-style Returning Hearts Celebration each May.
Once the bloodiest prison in America, Angola is now home to a faith-based program that fosters reconciliation, restoration and hope among its men, most of whom are serving life sentences, with the goal of breaking the generational cycle of incarceration. The night before RHC, Lifeline celebrates their accomplishments through a graduation ceremony in the prison’s chapel. Lifeline operates in 200 prisons and jails in the United States and in nine prisons internationally.
In Louisiana, Sonya and her colleagues lead a media team of university students to share these stories through writing, photography and videography. She also serves as a photographer, writer and editor for the team.
