Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
On the 50th anniversary of America's deadliest prison riot comes a prison-guard daughter's quest to uncover the truth about her father's murder during the uprising--a story of crossing racial divides, befriending inmates and correctional officers alike, and challenging the state to reveal and pay for its malfeasance. On September 13, 1971, armed troops and corrections officers at the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York slaughtered 29 rioting prisoners and 10 hostages in a hail of gunfire. Negotiations for a peaceful resolution had stalled. The sticking point was the prisoners' final demand: amnesty for their murder of correctional officer William "Billy" Quinn, committed four days earlier during the takeover.
Deanne Quinn Miller was 5 years old when her father was killed, the only Attica employee to die at the hands of inmates. For nearly 30 years, authorities attempting to protect law enforcement fed Deanne Quinn Miller lies about Attica, its aftermath, and her father's death. Here she tells of her relentless quest for truth and justice--for herself, her family, and an entire community.
After the state settled a long-standing lawsuit with injured Attica inmates by awarding them $12 million, Miller co-founded the Forgotten Victims of Attica and succeeded in getting the same compensation for the hostages and their families--who had received no support from the state.
But the real win was the journey that crossed great divides: befriending infamous Attica prisoner Frank "Big Black" Smith, meeting Richard Clark and other inmates who tried to carry her father to safety after his beating, and learning what life was like for all of the people--prisoners and prison employees alike--inside Attica. As Miller lays bare the truth about her father's death, the world inside Attica, and the state's reckless raid and coverup, she conveys a narrative of compassionate humanity and a call for prison reform.
Synopsis
- Publishing on the 50th Anniversary of the Attica Prison Riot, the Deadliest in US History: September 9, 2021, will mark 50 years since rioting prisoners took control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York, killing three fellow inmates and the author's father, correctional officer William Quinn--followed by the raid that killed 39 more (29 inmates and 10 hostages).
- The Inside Story of the Only Officer Killed by Inmates at Attica: Of the 11 guards and prison employees killed at Attica, only the author's father was killed by inmates--the rest were killed by indiscriminate gunfire from state police and prison officers retaking the prison. Miller uncovers her father's story, buried in the false narrative of the state's cover-up and decades-long lawsuits.
- A Story of Reconciliation and Ultimate Justice: In 2000, New York State settled a long-standing lawsuit with Attica inmates by awarding them $12 million. The two inmates convicted of murdering the author's father were among those to receive settlement monies. So, the author launched the Forgotten Victims of Attica campaign, and she tells her story of getting the State to offer $12 million to families of the prison employees killed and injured at Attica--thirty-three years after the riot and deadly raid.
- The Truth Behind a Criminal Justice First: Tells the story of how New York State's attempts to cover up its deadly decisions and close the books on Attica made inmate John Hill the first man in U.S. Judicial History to have his sentence commuted after being convicted of murdering a "peace officer," the author's father.
- An Improbable Friendship between "Big Black" and "Little White" In her search for truth, Deanne Quinn Miller befriended Frank "Big Black" Smith, one of the most infamous rioting prisoners. She tells of their differences and common connection to Attica, their deep friendship, and shared mission for justice. "Big Black" took to calling Deanne "Little White."
- Powerful Author and Co-Author Local Connections: Author and co-author reside in Western New York, near Attica, and both are active in keeping the history alive--Miller through Forgotten Victims of Attica, and Craig as the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle's lead journalist on the riot.
- Blurbs / Foreword: Foreword by Malcolm Bell, the former corporate attorney who, after the riot, was tapped as a prosecutor to oversee the investigation into crimes by police during the retaking. Blurbs in the works by Sister Helen PreJean, author of Dead Man Walking, and Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy.
- Navigating Two Worlds Often Pitted Against Each Other: Miller's story is like no other's in the annals of Attica history, in that she navigates among worlds often paired against each other--her hometown of families who made their livelihoods within the prison confines, and who saw their lives upended by the rioting prisoners; and those very prisoners who tried for months before the riot to use the proper channels to better the prison living conditions.
- Author's Active Role in Prison Reform Movement: As co-founder of the Forgotten Victims of Attica, Miller has been a featured speaker at numerous Attica retrospectives and memorials, as well as a sought-after interview for past and planned Attica documentaries. She speaks across the country on prison issues, using her personal history of Attica as a lesson and educational backdrop about the need for corrections reform.
- Documentaries and Other Coverage: Among other retrospectives, Showtime Documentary Films is expected to air a documentary about the riot, standoff, and retaking.