Abbott, Jack Henry (1944–2002)

Jack Henry Abbot is remembered as a complex and controversial figure in the history of U.S. prisons. In 1978, Abbott, while in prison, initiated a lengthy correspondence with author Norman Mailer, who was at the time writing The Executioner's Song (1979), a fictionalized biography of executed murderer Gary Gilmore. Abbott and Gilmore served time together in the Utah state penitentiary. Mailer not only was eager to learn more about Gilmore but also took an interest in Abbott's own writings. He was, apparently, impressed by Abbott's ability to convey the stark reality of prison life and was instrumental in having Abbott's letters published in the prestigious New York Review of Books. Self-educated, Abbott delved into the revolutionary philosophies of Mao and Stalin and wrote critically about violence and racism in America and in its prisons.

In the Belly of the Beast

Abbott's collection of writings culminated in the publication of the autobiographical text In the Belly of the Beast (1981). The book, featuring an introduction by Mailer, was commercially successful and highly acclaimed by critics. In it Abbott chronicles his life as a state-raised convict. He spent the better part of his first 12 years being shuttled among foster homes before being sent to the Utah state reformatory. At age 18, he was released, but only six months later he was sent to the Utah penitentiary to serve time for writing bad checks. Three years later, he stabbed one inmate to death and injured another in a prison brawl, adding more time to his sentence. In 1971, at the age of 25, he escaped briefly and robbed a bank, an offense that added a 19-year federal sentence on top of state time. In the New York Times Book Review, critic Terrence Des Pres called Abbott's book “awesome, brilliant, perversely ingenuous; its impact is indelible, and as an articulation of penal nightmare it is completely compelling” (Worth, 2002, p. B2).

When Abbott was being considered for parole, Mailer wrote a supportive letter on his behalf: “Mr. Abbott has the makings of a powerful and important writer” (Worth, 2002, p. B1). Mailer pleaded for Abbott's release, guaranteeing him gainful employment; subsequently, Abbott was transferred to a New York halfway house in early in June 1981 where he worked as a researcher earning $150 a week. Abbott was quickly embraced as a curious celebrity, appearing on nationally televised news programs and attending dinners with New York's literary elite.