The sixth episode of Prison Chronicles, titled “San Quentin,” takes viewers inside San Quentin State Prison, California’s oldest, dating back to the Gold Rush. The episode explores three inmates’ escape attempts: George Jackson, Stanley “Tookie” Williams, and Forrest Silva Tucker.
George Jackson’s escape attempt involved a gun hidden in an afro wig. Stanley “Tookie” Williams, co-founder of the Crips, sought freedom through writing, earning a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Forrest Silva Tucker, a serial escape artist, enlisted two inmates to build a boat for a watery escape.
San Quentin, located in Marin County on the San Francisco Bay, has a long, notorious history. It once housed the state’s gas chamber. The episode examines the prison’s past, providing insight into these men’s attempts to break free.
Prison Chronicles: San Quentin broadcasts on History on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 10:34 p.m.
