Jerome Washington

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Jerome Washington was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1939. He is most notable for his participation in the 1960s civil rights movement and for his time in prison.

He received his education at Columbia University after which he served in the United States Army for three years. After his return from the army, he became involved in civil rights and the peace movement. In the late 1960s he became known for his civil disobedience in general and Vietnam War protests, in particular. He was also a big part of the organizational force behind the popular revolt of the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

In 1973, Washington was convicted of murdering a bartender and trying to murder the bar owner. He was sentenced and sent to prison in Auburn. Being a journalist before his conviction, Jerome started a prison newspaper which portrayed the prisoners' struggles. It also caught the attention of many prison officials. Shortly after, Jerome was moved from Auburn to Attica prison and his typewriter and papers were taken away. He then filed a lawsuit and won the first prisoner amendment for the “Right to write”. He also campaigned to allow prisoners free access to books. Jerome Washington was released from prison in 1988 and his charges were dropped.