Staughton Lynd - Lucasville : The Untold Story of a Prison Uprising (2011) [Mumia Abu Jamal] [epub]

In telling the story of one of the longest prison uprisings in U.S. history, in which hundreds of inmates seized a major area of an Ohio correctional facility, this chronicle examines the causes of the disturbance, what happened during its 11-day duration, and the fairness of the trials in the aftermath of the rioting. Recounted from the prisoners’ side and viewed through a lawyer’s and an activist's lens, this exposé sheds light on the horrific and inhumane prison conditions, the rebellion and killing of 10 people, the drivers of the negotiated surrender, and the trial that was filled with misrepresentations and evasions on the part of those running the prison. The eloquent new foreword from the renowned political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal underlines the theme of the interracial character of the uprising and the basic desire of the prisoners to be recognized as men. A detailed view on a major prison uprising, this new edition will appeal to legal scholars, history buffs, prisoner and human rights activists, and family members of incarcerated individuals alike.

Five inmates, known as the Lucasville 5, are currently on death row in Ohio, condemned for allegedly organizing a "death squad" that killed five prisoner informers and a guard during the 1993 uprising in the maximum-security prison in Lucasville, OH. Lynd (coeditor, The New Rank and File), an opponent of capital punishment, has written an investigative account in hopes of saving their lives. Lynd argues that the men were framed by prison snitches and that other inmates, whom he names, were responsible for the killings. He places the overall blame for the uprising on the intolerable conditions permitted by Warden Arthur Tate. Pertinent to Lynd's claim is that prisoners who were often adversarial blacks and whites, Muslims and members of the Aryan Brotherhood fought shoulder to shoulder during the uprising. The appendixes include a petition asking clemency for the men and for a moratorium on all executions in Ohio. Of interest to anyone who follows prison politics or the often enigmatic workings of the justice system.