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Louisiana delays release of US man in solitary | Louisiana delays release of US man in solitary |
(35 minutes later) | |
The release of a man who has spent more than four decades in solitary confinement will now be delayed after a request by Louisiana's top lawyer. | The release of a man who has spent more than four decades in solitary confinement will now be delayed after a request by Louisiana's top lawyer. |
It means Albert Woodfox's release has been moved from Tuesday evening to, at the earliest, Friday afternoon. | |
A judge had ordered the 68-year-old to walk free, after his murder conviction was twice overturned. | |
But the attorney general said prosecutors would appeal "to make sure this murderer stays in prison". | But the attorney general said prosecutors would appeal "to make sure this murderer stays in prison". |
The state now has until Friday afternoon to explain why he should continue to be held in jail. | The state now has until Friday afternoon to explain why he should continue to be held in jail. |
Woodfox has been in solitary confinement since April 1972, after he was blamed for the death of a guard during a prison riot. | |
He was tried twice for the guard's death, but both convictions were later overturned. He denies all the charges. | |
Confined for 23 hours a day, he had only one hour outside his cell to "walk alone along the tier on which his cell is located", according to court documents from a case challenging his prison conditions. | |
Exercise was permitted three times a week and there were restrictions on "personal property, reading materials, access to legal resources, work, and visitation rights". | |
Solitary confinement in the US | |
Sources: ACLU, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Solitarywatch.com, Louisiana Prison Watch | |
How do you survive solitary confinement? |
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