In the Shadow of Faith: Redemption Behind Bars

Angola Penitentiary has its own radio station, its own magazine, and-most notably-its own highly organized evangelical ministry. It is also a working farm, tended in large part by compliant, nonviolent inmates. What forces are at work in the once-notorious Louisiana institution? Have its residents embraced religion sincerely, or is Angola a focal point of sophisticated brainwashing? This program invites viewers to consider those questions. Examining daily life at the complex, it reveals an existence that, while varying from inmate to inmate, finds meaning in work, worship, and little else. Insights into prison realities and their spiritual remedies come from lifers, guards, and warden Burl Cain, the charismatic instigator of Angola's transformation. (57 minutes)