A fragment of the prison experiences

Exploring prison experiences and the anarchist movement

Emma Goldman

64 pages, parution le 17/04/2025

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Résumé

A Fragment of the Prison Experiences delivers an unflinching account of Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman's imprisonment in Jefferson City State Prison and Atlanta Federal Penitentiary between 1918 and 1919. This collaborative memoir exposes the brutality of early 20th-century penal systems through the eyes of two iconic anarchists. Goldman's vivid recollections detail dehumanizing conditions, forced labor, and systemic oppression faced by political dissidents, while Berkman's essays dismantle pseudoscientific theories of criminality, arguing that crime stems from poverty and social inequities. The work includes firsthand documentation of their clashes with prison authorities, such as Berkman's public rebuttal to Warden Fred Zerbst, and critiques the Lombrosian myth of the «born criminal.» Interwoven with philosophical reflections on justice, this narrative serves as both a personal testimony and a radical call for prison reform. Its blend of memoir and polemic makes it indispensable for readers exploring political biographies, histories of social activism, and critiques of carceral institutions.