A fragment of the prison experiences of Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman / In the State Prison at Jefferson City, Mo., and the U. S. Penitentiary at Atlanta, Ga. February, 1918–October, 1919

Two radical activists chronicle their prison experiences and mount a sustained critique of punitive penal systems, arguing that crime is produced by social conditions rather than innate depravity. The narrative details overcrowded, poorly ventilated cells, indifferent and often brutal officials, and disciplinary practices that suppress individuality and worsen inmates’ health. It contrasts contemporary criminological thought with the enduring neglect and harshness of actual institutions, links poverty and social injustice to criminal behavior, and calls for more humane treatment, reform of prison management, and understanding of the social roots of crime.