Jim Quillen > Quotes

“A system was created at Alcatraz that allowed some officials to have too much power and political influence. It also allowed the privilege of too much secrecy in determining how the men lived, survived, or died. Alcatraz was a law unto itself and it should be with shame that our federal prison system looks at this prison, rather than holding it in high esteem and considering it a success. I realize the above statements reflect a feeling of hostility and bitterness. But to my knowledge, this is the first time the truth, from an inmate’s point of view, is being written. As one of the few inmates of that era still alive, I somehow feel pressure on behalf of my fellows to reveal the true story concerning the attempted break: why it happened, and the three-day nightmare of the federal prison system and its bureaucrats trying to murder twenty-six inmates, including me.”
― Jim Quillen, Inside Alcatraz: The bestselling true story of life inside America's most notorious prison