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Jerry's Riot: The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance
Kevin S. Giles Book Review

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Plot Summary of Jerry's Riot: The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance
"Jerry Myles, a convict at Alcatraz Island and several other federal and state prisons, came to Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge in the summer of 1958 on a burglary conviction. Inside the prison he became a "con boss," which means he was in charge of other convicts who worked in the garment factory. Soon after Myles arrived, a reform warden named Floyd Powell took charge of the prison. Powell stripped Myles and other con bosses of their authority, which led to a power struggle inside the prison. Myles was angry and vowed revenge for what he saw as humiliation. Powell didn't isolate Myles but instead left him mingling in the general prison population. The anger climaxed in a deadly riot that began April 16, 1959. The riot was one of the last of a series of riots inside American prisons in the 1950s. This book carefully details the ingredients of the riot, the riot itself, and the aftermath.
"

Kevin S. Giles, Resident Scholar




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Review Analysis of Jerry's Riot: The True Story of Montana's 1959 Prison Disturbance
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Which institution - prison
Life in an institution Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - thief/con artist
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - emotionally unstable
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
United States Yes
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - prison
Century: - 1930's-1950's

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Book makes you feel? - thoughtful
Commentary on society? Yes
Writer's slant towards subject: - neutral
Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices? Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
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