米刑務所でロデオ大会、受刑者参加

【アンゴラＡＦＰ＝時事】米ルイジアナ州の「アンゴラ」と呼ばれる州立刑務所でこのほど、５７回目となる受刑者参加のロデオ大会が開催された。（写真は米ルイジアナ州アンゴラの州立刑務所で行われたロデオ大会の様子。）
　「南部で最もワイルドなショー」と銘打たれた大会では、看守が監視する中、受刑者がさまざまな種目でプロのカウボーイと競い合う。
　会場には一般的な移動遊園地と同様、子ども用のメリーゴーラウンドなども設置されているが、鉄条網と監視塔に囲まれている。
　白黒のしま柄の服に、ヘルメットやカウボーイハットをかぶった受刑者が自由に動き回り、次のショーに向け準備をしていた。
　伝統的なブルライディングに加え、４人の囚人がテーブルを囲んで座っているところに１頭の雄牛が放たれ、誰が最後まで座っていられるかを競う「受刑者ポーカー」や、最も気性が荒い雄牛に付けられたポーカーチップを奪い合う「ガッツ＆グローリー」など独特の競技もある。
　アンゴラは警備レベルが最高に分類される刑務所としては最大で、かつては暴力がまん延し、劣悪な環境で知られていた。プランテーションだった土地に建てられている。
　毎年開催のロデオ大会の入場料収入は、受刑者支援プログラムに充てられる。参加者には報償金が与えられるほか、受刑者は刑務所内で制作した手工芸品を販売することもできる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/05/02-16:50）

At the sprawling Louisiana prison known as Angola, inmates clad in black and white stripes go toe-to-toe with horses and bulls at a unique rodeo event now in its 57th year.
The rodeo, described on its website as the wildest show in the south, features about a dozen events in which prisoners and professional cowboys compete under the watchful eyes of prison guards and the viewing public.
Like a typical fair, children in attendance can take a ride on a merry-go-round or trot around on a horse, but this outdoor area is surrounded by barb-wired fence and watchtowers.
In the dirt-floored arena, inmates in striped uniforms, helmets and cowboy hats walk around freely and prepare for their upcoming shows.
In addition to traditional rodeo fixtures such as bull riding, the Angola Rodeo also includes more daring challenges such as Convict Poker -- in which four inmates sit around a table with a wild bull set loose. The last man remaining seated wins.
There's also Guts & Glory, which is perhaps the most exciting event, according to the rodeo's website.
In the competition, several inmates attempt to be the first to grab a poker chip that's been tied to the meanest, toughest Brahma bull available.
Convicts have taken part in the rodeo since 1965 at the prison, which is formally known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
The facility, the largest maximum security prison in the United States, sits on the site of a former slave plantation, and was previously known for its horrific violence and harsh living conditions.
The rodeos have become increasingly popular, attracting several tens of thousands of people each year. An admission fee goes to funding for inmate support programs.
These competitions allow them to earn money by participating in the events or by selling to the public handicrafts -- wooden sculptures, paintings or even models -- made by their own hands behind bars.