Chronicles of San Quentin

The Biography of a Prison

Kenneth Church Lamott

• Publisher: Muriwai Books
• eBook ISBN:
  9781789126013
• Year: 2018

First published in 1961, writing Chronicles of San Quentin was first suggested to Kenneth Lamott during a spell as a teacher at that California prison in the 1950's.
The book not only chronicles the history and highlights of one of America's most famous penitentiaries, but it also reflects the changes in prisons in the U.S. over the last 100 years. Calmly informing us that there were over 4,000 murders in California between 1849-1855, Lamott quickly justifies the terrible need the state had for prisons other than lax, badly run county and city jails.
But San Quentin itself, which started as a floating prison hulk, was little better. Here are its famous prisoners, riots and escapes, its floggings and brutalities, its executions too. With the coming of the "New Era" penology in the 1890's, the change to more humane and rational treatment of prisoners is shown. The Clinton Duffy era is dealt with at great length—its shortcomings are shown along with its humane virtues—and prison life including the Chessman execution, is portrayed with sympathy and understanding.
A highly readable book.

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• ILLUSTRATIONS
• Chapter I-WABAU
• Chapter II-NO PARADISE FOR SCOUNDRELS
• Chapter III-THE FIRST SCANDAL
• Chapter IV-THE ART OF POLITICKING
• Chapter V-McCAULEY’S REVENGE
• Chapter VI-THE BATTLE OF ROSS LANDING
• Chapter VII-CIRCLE OF THE DAYS
• Chapter VIII-DAWN OF RESPECTABILITY
• Chapter IX-RIOTS NEVER END ON SCHEDULE
• Chapter X-ED MORRELL’S STORY
• Chapter XI-DEATH BY HANGING
• Chapter XII-COMING OF THE NEW PENOLOGY
• Chapter XIII-WAR, WOBBLIES, AND THE GREAT AIRPLANE PLOT
• Chapter XIV-FINKS AND MILLIONAIRES
• Chapter XV-SAN QUENTIN CHANGES
• Chapter XVI-THE MAKING OF A FOLK HERO
• Chapter XVII-AFTER DUFFY
• NOTES
• REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER