Sister Miriam Wilson's collection on the Pontiac Brothers prison reform movement

  • Creator Names Wilson, Miriam, Sister.
  • Title Sister Miriam Wilson's collection on the Pontiac Brothers prison reform movement [manuscript], 1978-1982.
  • Physical description 1 linear ft. (1 box)
  • Collection summary Newspaper clippings, pamphlets, flyers, correspondence, etc. on the prison reform movement focusing on the Pontiac Correctional Center, a state prison in Pontiac, Illinois, where 31 prisoners were prosecuted for roles in the 1978 rebellion, one of the largest prison riots in the United States. Seventeen of the prisoners were tried on death penalty charges and became known as the Pontiac Brothers. Several local religious organizations worked in the effort to save them from execution, including Sister Miriam Wilson of St. Scholastica Priory in Chicago. Much of the correspondence in the collection is between Wilson and prisoners and politicians. Most of the pamphlets and flyers are in support of the prisoners and discuss the rebellion and conditions at the prison, which was known for its crowded quarters and harsh treatment of prisoners before the rebellion. Some items were published by various church groups and the Pontiac Prisoners Support Coalition. Also included are "Prisoners are People Too," a compilation of poems by John Bailey, one of the inmates; and "Pontiac: a captivating narrative observation of one of America's largest criminal cases, by a mother whose son was tried as a death defendant in this case," by Marie Tolbert. A "Free the Pontiac Brothers" t-shirt is also present.
  • Acquisition information Gift of Sister Miriam Wilson (1986.0824).
  • Names
    • Wilson, Miriam, Sister.
    • Pontiac Correctional Center (Ill.)
    • Pontiac Prisoners Support Coalition (Ill.)
    • Bailey, John. Prisoners are people too.
    • Tolbert, Marie. Pontiac.
    • Wilson, Miriam, Sister, Collector.
    • Pontiac Prisoners Support Coalition (Ill.)
  • Subjects
    • African American prisoners Illinois Pontiac 20th century.
    • Prisoners Civil rights Illinois Pontiac 20th century.
    • Prison riots Illinois Pontiac 20th century.
  • Geographic coverage Pontiac (Ill.) Politics and government 20th century.
  • Genre
    • Clippings. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Handbills. aat
    • Pamphlets. aat
  • Geographic name
    • United States Illinois Livingston County Pontiac.
    • United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.