Albert Woodfox, America's longest-serving solitary confinement prisoner, celebrates his 74th birthday and the fifth anniversary of his release on Friday. Woodfox spent nearly 44 years in a 6ft by 9ft concrete cell at Louisiana's Angola prison, wrongfully convicted of murder as a member of the Angola 3.
Now living in a three-bedroom home in New Orleans, Woodfox reflects on his survival techniques, including making a list of mundane desires like having dinner with family and driving a car. He has since ticked every item, including visiting his mother's grave and bonding with his daughter Brenda.
Woodfox notes the irony that his years in solitary prepared him for pandemic isolation. 'Who would have thought that all those years in solitary would have prepared me for living through this pandemic?' he said. He now speaks about his experiences and has adopted a stray dog named Hobo.
