American Notes Prisons

There may be radio listeners who think all disk jockeys ought to be in jail. But in Angola, La., two DJs have started their careers behind bars. Big Brother Amin and the Duke of L.A., who broadcast five days a week from Station KLSP, are both armed-robbery convicts. Their target audience is also captive: the 4,645 inmates of Angola's 18,000-acre prison farm. The call letters for KLSP stand for Louisiana State Penitentiary, the "incarceration station" that is the only prisoner-run radio in the U.S.

Since starting up in August, KLSP has broadcast from a room in the prison compound using equipment donated by a charity. Amin and the Duke deliver news on the hour but don't bother with traffic reports. They also play musical requests. Among the favorites: Jailhouse Rock and Chain Gang. The station will soon include a weekly program on legal topics like recent Supreme Court decisions. "It's entertaining, educational and a way to get information quickly to inmates," says Assistant Warden Roger Thomas. The DJs eventually plan to broadcast performances by prison bands. Says the Duke: "Some people think everybody in here is a slimy killer, but we've got some really talented cats." Just in case of trouble, the wardens have three separate control switches that can shut the station down.