The Law: The Gang's All Here

It started as the first shift of prisoners was marching out of the mess hall at the Illinois State Penitentiary at Pontiac; the next group came shuffling by, headed toward the tables. Suddenly more than 100 convicts were battling with cleaning utensils, metal trays and homemade knives. The melee lasted until a guard fired tear-gas grenades into the hall 20 minutes later−too late to save the lives of two young convicts who had been stabbed.

Their deaths last December were violent evidence of a serious new form of prison unrest. They did not die...

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