. >> on his 69th birthday, albert woodfox would walk out of the entrenchary a free man. woodfox had been convicted twice for murder of a prison guard. both convictions were overturned on appeal. last summer a judge ordered wo woodfox's release. his release comes after the state dropped the threat of sub jacketing him to a third murder trial. in turn woodfox pleaded no contest to lesser charges. he said in a statement: >> woodfox was one of the stalled angola three. he along with robert king and herman wallace would spend long stretches in solitary in any goal la. many of the supporters believed that the men were political prisoners being held for their involvement with the black panthers and because they fought for better prison conditions. >> they were the scapegoats. there was opportunity. but the president administration to continue and to destroy the black panther movement. >> in a statement friday, woo woodfox thanked herman wallace and robert king for their support. king was released in 2001. wallace was released in 2013 after more than 30 years in solitary confine

woodfox said that albert survived the extreme environment of solitary confinement because of his strength and character. these inhumane practices must stop. jonathan martin, al jazeera, new orleans. >> director of the national prison project at the american civil liberties union. he joins us live from washington, d.c. thank you very much for being with us. 43 years in solitary confineme confinement. how does anyone survive that? >> it's quite extraordinary that he's able to survive the torture and mistreatment that is unknown any other democratic country. the damaging effects of solitary confinement are really quite well-known. they range from anxiety, panic attacks, to cognitive difficulties, inability to think clearly, to concentrate, self mutilation, suicide, and sometimes frank and irreversible psychosis. the fact that mr. woodfox has survived 43 years of this kind of abuse is really quite extraordinary. >> what might someone have access to if they're in solitary confinement? >> well, it's a level of deprivation that i think is really impossible for most of us to imagine. think of loc

albert woodfox and two others spent decades in isolation at state prisons in angola and elsewhere. he was twice convicted of murder in the death of a prison guard, but the verdicts were overturned. woodfox was awaiting a new trial when he agreed to plead no contest and go free, at the age of 69. the state of oregon is headed towards the highest minimum wage in the country. a bill to raise the wage over 6 years won financial approval on thursday. it is the first such measure to set pay by region. by 2022, portland employees will earn $14.75 an hour, while workers in rural areas will make a rate of $12.50. and wall street finished the week with mixed results. the dow jones industrial average lost 21 points to close at 16,392. the nasdaq rose nearly 17 points, and the s&p 500 was virtually unchanged. still to come on the newshour: why winning south carolina is so important to the g.o.p. candidates; mark shields and david brooks take on a packed week of news; a dangerous journey for children seeking refuge in greece with their families, and much more. >> woodruff: presidential candidat

. >> albert woodfox has always maintained that he was an innocent man. after a 40-year legal battle he was finally able to walk free. [applause] >> on his 69th birthday, albert woodfox walked out of the louisiana penitentiary a free man. he had been convicted twice for killing prison guard in 1972. he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. both convictions were overturned on appeal. last summer a judge ordered woodfox's release. but a federal appeals court decided he had to state behind bars while the state of louisiana challenged the release. woodfox's release friday comes after the state dropped the threat of sub jacketing him to a third murder trial. he said although i was looking forward to proving my innocence at a new trial, concerns about my health and my age have caused me to resolve this case now and obtain my release with this no contest plea to lesser charges. i hope the events of today will bring closure to many. woodfox was one of the so-called angola 3. he along with robert keen and her man wallace spent long stretches in angola, l

albert woodfox has been released as part of a plea deal. as nbc's jacob rascon tells us, it's been a hard fought battle to gain his freedom. >> reporter: few may ever understand freedom like albert woodfox released tonight on his 69th birthday after his attorneys say he spent more time in solitary confinement than any other prisoner in american history. it started with a prison riot in louisiana state penitentiary in 1972. prison guard brent miller was stabbed 32 times. woodfox and herman wallace were convicted of the murder and sent to solitary prisoner robert king also was convicted for the same crime. king was released in 2001 after 29 years alone in a cell. >> i'm free from angola but i don't feel free as long as albert and wallace are in priss on. >> wall as was set free 2013 and died of cancer two days later and today albert woodfox plead no contest to the killing and was sentenced to 32 years and already had served 45 years so was released. in a statement he said today will bring closure to many. after more than four decades free. ja

albert woodfox has alpert wood fox, the longest serving solitary confinement prisoner has been released as part of a plea deal. as nbc's jacob rascon tells us, it's been a hard fought battle to gain his freedom. >> reporter: few may ever understand freedom like albert woodfox released tonight on his 69th birthday after his attorneys say he spent more time in solitary confinement than any other prisoner in american history. it started with a prison riot in louisiana state penitentiary or angloo in 1972. miller was stabbed 32 times. woodfox and fellow inmate herman wallace were convicted for the murder and sentenced to solitary confinement. prisoner robert king got the same penalty for a different crime. they became known around the world as the angola three, spending decades in 9 x 6 foot cells, even as woodfox and wallace's convictions were overturned twice for inadequate representation and charges of racial discrimination. king was released in 2001 after 29 years alone in a cell. >> i'm free from angola, but i don't feel free as long as herman and al brert in prison. i don't consider m

and wallace are >> wall as was set free 2013 and died of and today albert and today albert woodfox plead no contest to the killing and was sentenced to 32 years and already had served 45 years so was released. in a statement he said i hope the events of today will bring closure to many. after more than four decades free. jacob rascon, nbc news. >>> when we come back. what voters here in south carolina kelme shall we say, unnecessarily complex. limiting where you can earnpbonus cash back... then those places change everypfew months... please. it's time you got the pquicksilver card from capital one. pquicksilver earns you unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. pdoesn't get much simpler than that. >>> the newer poll numbers we talked about at top. newscast that show a tightening of the gop presidential race in south carolina underscore how fluid things appear tonight. i dropped in at a local barbecue place during the lunch hour to take my own scientific measure of what's driving people's decisions. want an ice tea. >> sure. >> sweet or unsweet. >> sweet in south carolina.

family members say albert woodfox is overhwelmed, but feeling great? shown here - celebrating with members of the black panther party?just after his release from prison?where he spent more than four decades in solitary confinement.. in a 9 by 6 foot cell. nats - q: albert how does it feel? albert: uhh, i really the last of the so-called "angola 3" prisoners - freed yesterday- on his 69th birthday, sot woodfox after taking a plea deal in the 1972 murder of louisiana state penitentiary guard- brent miller? (add shorty bite here) his conviction overturned twice, woodfox was set to be tried a third time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges yesterday? while maintaining- he is innocent. sot robert mcduff attorney for albert woodfox "this plea agreement was a means to bring this case to an end." an end to a punishment woodfox claims he and the other "angola 3" inmates were given - because of their ties to the black panthers? the group- joining him as he starts his life outside of prison walls for the rapper "50 cent" will have to explain his instagra

family members say albert woodfox is overhwelmed, but feeling great? shown here - celebrating with members of the black panther party?just after his release from prison?where he spent more than four decades in solitary confinement.. in a 9 by 6 foot cell. nats - q: albert how does it feel? albert: uhh, i really haven't decided yet. the last of the so-called "angola 3" prisoners - freed yesterday- on his 69th sot woodfox after taking a plea deal in the 1972 murder of louisiana state penitentiary guard- brent miller? (add shorty bite here) his conviction overturned twice, woodfox was set to be triethird time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges yesterday? while maintaining- he is innocent. sot robert mcduff attorney for albert woodfox "this plea agreement was a means to bring this case to an end." an end to a punishment woodfox claims he and the other "angola 3" inmates were given - because first time in more than forty years. marci gonzalez abc news new york former subway spokesman, jared fogle is hoping to get a shorter prison sentence. he app

. >> reporter: yesterday, albert woodfox, one of prisoners as the angola three, celebrated his 69th birthday by walking out of a louisiana jail. after taking a plea deal, he's now starting life outside of his 9 x 6 prison cell for the first time in 43 years. >> right now, i'm just resigned to trying to adjust to being free. >> reporter: they were convicted of murdering a prison guard. the men claiming the crime was pinned on them because of their involvement in the black panther >> we were framed for murder. >> reporter: they were sentenced in indefinite solitary confinement at the louisiana state pent tear. along with another inmate who was serving time for an unrelated crime. >> and everybody was just fighting to survive from day-to-day. >> reporter: wallace and king were previously released and woodfox had his conviction thrown out twice because of inadequate representation. he was set to be tried for a third time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges. >> if you could go back to that day in april of 1972, what would you do? >> forces beyond your control, there's not a lot you can

. >> reporter: albert woodfox was in the louisiana state prison known as angola. was convicted in that guard's murder. his attorney said he spent more time in solitary confinement than anyone else in american history. and today, he's starting his first full day of freedom. this morning, waking up a free man, after more than four decades in solitary confinement. >> how does it feel? >> i really haven't decided yet. >> reporter: yesterday, albert woodfox, one of the prisoners known as the angola three, celebrated his 69th birthday by walking out of a louisiana jail. after taking a plea deal, he's now starting life outside of his 9 x 6 prison cell for the first time in 43 years. >> right now, i'm just resigned to trying to adjust to being free. >> reporter: woodfox and fellow inmate wallace were convicted of murdering a prison guard. the men claiming the crime was pinned on them because of their involvement in the black panther >> we were framed for murder. that with we are totally completely and actually innocent of. >> reporter: they were sentenced to indefinite so

albert woodfox was put in solitary cell more than 43 years ago. convicted in the death of a prison guard. yesterday, on his 69th birthday he was set free. here's abc's marci gonzalez. >> reporter: tonight, family members say albert woodfox is overwhelmed, but feeling great. shown here celebrating with members of the black panther party just after his release from prison, where he spent more than four decades in solitary confinement in a 9 x 6 foot cell. >> how does it feel? >> uh, i really haven't decided yet. >> reporter: the last of the freed yesterday, on his 69th birthday. >> right now, i'm just trying to adjust to being free. >> reporter: after taking a plea deal in the 1972 murder of louisiana state penitentiary guard, brent miller. his conviction overturned twice, woodfox was set to be tried a third time, when he pleaded no contest to lesser charges yesterday, while maintaining he is innocent. >> this plea agreement was a means to bring this case to an end. >> reporter: an end to a punishment woodfox claims was because of his ties to the bl