Airdates: No airdates currently scheduled.

Louisiana State Penitentiary Prison, known as 'Angola', houses thousands of violent criminals and has witnessed numerous murders within its walls. The prison received international attention when "Dead Man Walking", a Hollywood movie based on two of Angola's former death row inmates, was made. But these days, it is receiving attention for a much more positive reason.

Pastor Sydney Deloch has been an inmate in Angola for more than 45 years. He says he found God in prison, and after studying correspondence courses he became an ordained minister. His mission was to spread his faith to his fellow prisoners.  Pastor Sydney visits the prison's dying inmates everyday to give them comfort and a caring ear. And when prisoners die in Angola, their fellow inmates make sure they are laid to rest with respect.

Richard Leggett has been in Angola more than 35 years. He provides the prison with a valuable service – he builds coffins for the inmates who pass away. He takes his craft seriously, since normally, prisoners would have only been put in makeshift packaged caskets. Instead, they are now given proper funerals. Their caskets are pulled by horse and carriage, followed by a line of prisoners singing hymns, to the cemetery. Pastor Sydney leads a prayer service in a chapel, and then they are laid to rest.

Burl Cain, Angola's governor, has been criticised by victim's right groups for allowing the funeral services, arguing that their loved ones were killed and did not receive such nice send-offs. But Cain's response has been this: once a man has died, he has served his sentence and earned the right to a dignified goodbye.

LEARN MORE:

View excerpts of other Witness episodes airing on Link TV

Visit Al Jazeera English

More on Witness from Al Jazeera

WATCH ONLINE

See Part 1 here:

See Part 2 here:

About Al Jazeera - Witness

Rageh Omaar presents Witness, a half-hour daily documentary series which features short, specially commissioned or acquired films gathered from independent filmmakers.
 
Each documentary reveals the unknown lives of ordinary people, following their lives, telling their stories and portraying the challenges that confront them. Our witnesses are people in a situation or those who have observed them first hand.
 
The films cover conflict, belief, the past and the future and as well as bringing new stories to light they showcase the talents of a new breed of multi-skilled, frontline journalist. In the studio, Rageh will further explore the issues raised in the films, with expert guests on the subject matter and the filmmakers themselves.