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Wilbert Rideau

Tireless Advocate for Criminal Justice Reform

Tireless Advocate for Criminal Justice Reform

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Wilbert Rideau Biography

After killing a woman in a moment of panic following a botched bank robbery, 19-year-old Wilbert Rideau, denied a fair trial, was sentenced to death. He served 44 years in Louisiana prisons, mainly in the notorious institution, Angola. He was on death row for 12 years, in solitary confinement for over 11 years, and had four trials—and yet, he maintained a strength of body and spirit, fighting to reform the state’s corrupt penal system.

While in prison, Rideau became editor of the prison newsmagazine The Angolite, which under his leadership became an uncensored, daring, and crusading journal that won accolades, including a George Polk journalism award for Rideau himself. Still in prison, Rideau corresponded for National Public Radio, collaborated on “In for Life” for ABC-TV’s Day One, and even co-directed the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, The Farm: Angola, USA. In 1993, Rideau was described by Life magazine as “the most rehabilitated prisoner in America”. A jury acquitted Rideau of murder and convicted him of the lesser crime of manslaughter, which was punishable by twenty-one years in prison. Since he had served forty-four, he was immediately freed. He was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship in 2007.

Rideau lectures around the country at journalism schools, law institutions, and conferences for defense attorneys. He recently spoke at Zócalo Public Square in Los Angeles, where he discussed the importance of prison reform. In addition to writing and speaking, Rideau currently works as a consultant to capital defense teams in both federal and state cases around the country. He lives with his wife in Louisiana, where he treasures his freedom to tend his garden and train for a marathon.

Wilbert Rideau Speaking Topics

  • Faith, Hope, and Charity: And the Greatest of These Is Charity

  • The Power One Person Has to Make a Difference

  • Capital Defense Attorneys: Thanks for Doing a Thankless Job

  • A Stranger in the House: Reentry of Ex-Cons

  • How to Avoid the Mistakes Capital Defense Attorneys Commonly Make: See Yourself Through Your Client's Eyes

  • A Free Press Behind Bars: The Angolite Experience and Prison Journalism

Wilbert Rideau Videos

  • Zócalo Public Square Lecture

Wilbert Rideau Books

  • In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Redemption
    In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Redemption

FAQs on booking Wilbert Rideau

  • How do I book Wilbert Rideau to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Wilbert Rideau for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Wilbert Rideau, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Wilbert Rideau or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Wilbert Rideau

    Speaking fees for Wilbert Rideau, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Wilbert Rideau are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Wilbert Rideau, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Wilbert Rideau speak about?

    Wilbert Rideau is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, University Speakers.
  • Where does Wilbert Rideau travel from?

    Wilbert Rideau generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Wilbert Rideau’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Wilbert Rideau for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Wilbert Rideau for your next private or corporate function.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Wilbert Rideau is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Faith, Hope, and Charity: And the Greatest of These Is Charity, The Power One Person Has to Make a Difference, Capital Defense Attorneys: Thanks for Doing a Thankless Job, A Stranger in the House: Reentry of Ex-Cons, How to Avoid the Mistakes Capital Defense Attorneys Commonly Make: See Yourself Through Your Client's Eyes and A Free Press Behind Bars: The Angolite Experience and Prison Journalism. The estimated speaking fee range to book Wilbert Rideau for your event is available upon request. Wilbert Rideau generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Liz Garbus, Bill Kurtis, Cecilia Aragon, Donna Hylton and Yusef Salaam. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Wilbert Rideau for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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