San Quentin: The Evolution of a State Prison : An Historical Narrative of the Ten Years from 1851-1861 (West Coast Studies, 6)

ISBN 10: 0893704369 / ISBN 13: 9780893704360

Published by Borgo Pr, 2005

About this Item

Seller Inventory # mon0004152320

Bibliographic Details

• Title: San Quentin: The Evolution of a State Prison : An Historical Narrative of the Ten Years from 1851-1861 (West Coast Studies, 6)
• Publisher: Borgo Pr
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0893704369
• ISBN 13: 9780893704360
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

The coming of statehood to California in 1850 forced the authorities to face one immediately pressing issue: what to do with the many convicts who were pouring forth from the local county courtrooms in the wake of the great Gold Rush of 1848-49. Lawlessness was everywhere rampant, and something had to be done immediately. The answer was found in establishing the first state prison at Quentin Point in Marin County, soon to be called San Quentin. Librarians Bonnie Petry and Michael Burgess have here gathered together several key documents dealing with the earliest years of the prison, including James Harold Wilkins' seminal work, "The Evolution of a State Prison," together with a list of early convict names, a bibliography of "San Quentiniana" (publications by the convicts themselves) by Herman K. Spector, and a new annotated bibliography of nonfiction resources about the prison compiled by Ms. Petry. Complete with Introduction and Index.

About the Author

MICHAEL BURGESS is Head of Technical Services & Collection Development, John M. Pfau Library, California State University, San Bernardino.