1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: According to CBS News, Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola has more 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: than sixty three hundred prisoners. An organization called God behind Bars, 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: which hosts other reunification events and religious services in prisons nationwide, 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: hosted the very first father and Daughter dance at the prison. 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: The prison picked up picked about thirty inmates to participate 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: due to good behavior and other deciding factors. A dance 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: space was set up in the prison's Bible College, and 8 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: the fathers wore tuxedos and cried as their daughters ran 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: up to them. For some prisoners, some of these prisoners 10 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: they haven't seen their daughters in month or some even years. 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,639 Speaker 1: This was a night where they wouldn't be seen as 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: an inmate, but just rather as dad. Some prisoners said 13 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: they wanted to apologize for all the years they missed, 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 1: and the other inmates called the dance the most important 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: prison visit of their lives. 16 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: Wow. See those are important programs. Off of quite a 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: few of those online and stuff like that. I think 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: they're fabulous. Man. It gives the fathers a level of 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: dignity and a chance to look like a father in 20 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 2: the eyes of the daughter. It's such an important relationship 21 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 2: between a father and a daughter. It's just as important 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: as the father son relationship because that's where they learn 23 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 2: what a man's love is supposed to be like. So 24 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: I think it's a fabulous program. I think they need 25 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: to do more. Hats off to Angola, which is one 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: of the toughest, one of the toughest institutions reputation wise 27 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 2: in the country. Never been there, but Lord have mercy 28 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: and some of the way that they treat the inmates 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: the inmates is simply inhumane. I will say that about 30 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: Angola and a lot of other prisons too. But when 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: you see a program like this, this offers a lot 32 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: of hope. I'm involved in a prison program that I 33 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: started at the prison in Atlanta. The Federal prison in 34 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 2: Atlanta is started by the Coffee Bean Foundation, where I 35 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 2: donated a sum of money to provide fathers with twenty 36 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: five hundred dollars scholarships to give to their children for 37 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 2: things that children need on the outside. And the way 38 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 2: they do it is they have to apply for the 39 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: scholarship and like you know, like one of their children 40 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: may need to go to dance class. So one girl 41 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: wanted to go on this field trip to DC and 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 2: a mother didn't have the money. Well we found out 43 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: about it, and he wins twenty five hundred dollars scholarship 44 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: and he's able to send the money in his name 45 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 2: to his child for his child to participate in these activities. 46 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: And it's starting to really really catch on. And I'm 47 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: gonna after this first year here, I'm gonna do a 48 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: couple other prisons across the country with these guys. And 49 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: I spoke at the prison this year. I can't think 50 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 2: of the name of it. It's the Federal prison in Atlanta. 51 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: I can't think of the name. But it's very moving 52 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: time for men. I had a great time visiting with 53 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: the inmates and the guards and you know, shout out 54 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 2: to all the inmates out there. Man, that's that's just 55 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,839 Speaker 2: that's that's just trying to do the right thing. Man. 56 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 2: A lot of good people make mistakes in this world. 57 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 2: And there was some great men behind them bars that 58 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: I met. There was some great officers in that who 59 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: cared about the men. You know, it's some good officers, 60 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: some bad ones, just like everywhere else. But for the 61 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: most part down there was they had a decent relationship. 62 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: So important, Hey, man, you can't throw men away and 63 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: women away because they locked up a lot of good 64 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 2: people make mistakes and then there's some innocent people back 65 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: there too. Now, yeah, a lot, and it's a whole 66 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: lot of it. Look, the Jim Crow law down in 67 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: Angola said that a person could get convicted without twelve 68 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: full jury members. So it's called a Jim Crow law 69 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:17,679 Speaker 2: down in Louisiana. They got it overturned just recently, where 70 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 2: you have to be convicted by twelve any other part 71 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 2: of the world, if ten people say you're guilty and 72 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: too say you don't, that's a mistrial. In Louisiana, you 73 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: go to prison. Well, they tried to get it retroactive 74 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 2: to go back after they passed the new law in 75 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: Louisiana High Supreme Court turned it down. So these men 76 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: who were convicted by not full juries still had to 77 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 2: stay in prison. That's happening at Angola, and that ain't right. Man. 78 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Steve Harvey Morning Show.