THE UNTOLD STORY TOLD: How A Deadly Prison Riot Becomes A Play
Performance meets politics with "Lucasville: The Untold Story of A Prison Uprising." In 2004, a book by the same name was published. The authors, family members and participants are calling for an investigation and raising awareness about the use of the death penalty.
The Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville was home to an 11-day stand-off in April 1993. One guard, Robert Vallandingham, and 9 prisoners were killed on the inside before terms of surrender were reached. 5 men were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for their role in the uprising, which included negotiating its end and holding meetings with other prisoners. Inmates testified against one another. Some of the key eyewitness claims have since been recanted.
The play is taken from actual dialogue, court transcripts and official statements from inmates and negotiators. The production toured Ohio in 2007 and it is being performed in August at the 2008 New York City International Fringe Festival. It is scheduled to be performed on the west coast in late September 2008.
The State of Ohio and Prosecutors stand by the cases and the convictions of the Lucasville 5. The state admits there is little to no actual evidence. Prosecutors maintain, and the juries have agreed, that the men who were the leaders and the voices during the disturbance could be held complicit and responsible for any and all actions during the deadly riot.
Sentences have been upheld by state courts.
The Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville was home to an 11-day stand-off in April 1993. One guard, Robert Vallandingham, and 9 prisoners were killed on the inside before terms of surrender were reached. 5 men were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for their role in the uprising, which included negotiating its end and holding meetings with other prisoners. Inmates testified against one another. Some of the key eyewitness claims have since been recanted.
The play is taken from actual dialogue, court transcripts and official statements from inmates and negotiators. The production toured Ohio in 2007 and it is being performed in August at the 2008 New York City International Fringe Festival. It is scheduled to be performed on the west coast in late September 2008.
The State of Ohio and Prosecutors stand by the cases and the convictions of the Lucasville 5. The state admits there is little to no actual evidence. Prosecutors maintain, and the juries have agreed, that the men who were the leaders and the voices during the disturbance could be held complicit and responsible for any and all actions during the deadly riot.
Sentences have been upheld by state courts.
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- News, VC2 Top Contenders US, Collective Journalism
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- mockrevolution Reporter/Producer/Editor
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- mockrevolution
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• The story of the Lucasville five must be told. The media and the State of Ohio want to keep the truth suppressed. The state committed the grave crime of using these five men as scapegoats to cover up their negligence before the prison uprising. Executing these men is murder. Keeping these men in prison is criminal.
Thank you Greg for this segment. Thank you to all those that work to bring justice to the Lucasville 5.
FREE THE LUCASVILLE 5!
