Prison Riot Literature

True crime is a literary classification with many subgenres, too many for one person to know well. Recently I was introduced to a sub-sub-sub-genre of true crime that might be well known to you, but maybe not. I call it "the literature of prison" because I don't know what else to call it. (By the by, there have been attempts in the past to create a Taxonomy of True Crime, a "table of contents to the evil and awful of the world," but I haven't seen a good one.)

Anyway, the "literature of prison" encompasses fiction and non-fiction books by inmates, about inmates, and about prison breaks, famous prisons, and famous events that have taken place in prisons. One division of this last category is -- let's call it the Literature of the Prison Riot.

My introduction to this cranny in true crime came when I found an old paperback on the "free" pile at the local library. I didn't really look at it before I took it home (which is how I've come up with some really interesting books.) The tattered, torn, free paperback was about a fatal prison riot in New Mexico in 1980.

It turns out a lot of people know of this old true crime paperback. At the time, the book was extremely valuable ; even in its terrible shape, I sold it on the internet for $ 65 ! The book, The Hate Factory, has since been reprinted and is available here.

During this prison riot in New Mexico, the inmates took control of the entire facility for several days. Hell broke loose. Dozens of men were raped and tortured to death in... imaginative ways. Now I imagine my tattered free paperback sitting on the coffee table in the waiting lounge in a tattoo shop. Or in the crime collection of some eccentric attorney somewhere.

A more recent entry found under "prison riot literature" is a book released last year entitled Jerry's Riot: The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance by Kevin Giles. It's about a bloody prison takeover and hostage standoff that was orchestrated by a psychopath who'd been transferred in from Alcatraz.

PHOTO: Montana State Prison, built in 1896, one of the toughest state prisons in the USA and site of a fatal riot in 1959.

The publisher, Sky Blue Waters Press, offers this description:

Jerry's Riot : The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance is a riveting inside story of one of the disturbing riots of the 1950s, an era of extensive prison violence in America. This new true crime book examines in revealing detail the explosion that resulted in Deer Lodge, Montana, when former Alcatraz Island convict Jerry Myles collided with reform warden Floyd Powell. Jerry's Riot takes the reader inside the prison walls where the riot occurred. The 445-page book contains the only known reconstruction of the riot from beginning to end. The story is built around Myles, the riot's principal ringleader, drawing extensively on federal and state records and the author's interviews with hostages, prisoners and others who were involved.

Some tidbits that make this book look especially promising: The author is the son of a former prison guard at Montana State, one of the toughest prisons in the country at the time, and he spent 10 years researching and interviewing surviving participants. It sounds like a good entree to an entire subgenre of our favorite subject.

Comments

[karen conyac]

My father who I never knew was one of those killed in the prison riot that occured in 1980. His name was Thomas Moya. I never had the chance to meet him, I was almost 4 at the time and learned of his death when I was 10. I am now 31 years old and any information on him would be greatly appreciated. I understand that the deaths of these inmates were barbaric and can handle details. My other reason for finding out more info is to possibly contact and relatives that might still be living. Thank you for your time. Karen Conyac

[tracy]

THANK YOU!! Ive been trying to remember the name of "The Hate Factory" forever,,,i read it years ago and drew a blank whenever i tried to come up with the title. I would like to recommend it to anyone whos thinking of becoming a nark/snitch, LOL. you may just change ur mind after reading this.

[Stephanie]

In response to Tracy's comment about "becoming a narc/snitch, LOL"...What happened to these people was completely inhumane and barbaric. To make a mockery out of a tragedy is completely and utterly disgusting. It's obvious you're extremely young and immature or just plain unintelligent and ignorant. I'm sure if it was a family member of yours, being a "snitch" would not have crossed your mind when you heard that your family member's body was mutilated beyond recognition while he was awake, bringing him back to consciencousness every time he passed out from the extreme pain, and ending the mutilation with a blow torch slowly burning every part of his body. Not something to "LOL" about. Absolutely RIDICULOUS!!!!!!