A group of Oklahoma officials, led by Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, visited Louisiana State Penitentiary to tour the Angola Prison Rodeo, the only remaining prison rodeo in the United States, as they explore restarting Oklahoma's prison rodeo program that was discontinued in 2009.
The Angola rodeo draws 10,000 visitors to each sold-out event and generates approximately $1 million in local economic impact per rodeo, Grego said. The visiting delegation included the warden of Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and members of the state's Rodeo Restoration Committee.
The Oklahoma rodeo was discontinued due to lack of funding and ground deterioration, Grego said. He has introduced legislation in recent years to create a revolving fund to restart the program, but those bills have not yet advanced through the legislature.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has previously committed $1 million toward the project, and the City of McAlester, the McAlester Chamber of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation have also expressed support, according to Grego.