Open AccessBook Review: Mitchel P. Roth, Fire in the Big House: America’s Deadliest Prison Disaster. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press. 2019.
Author(s) -
Robert M. Worley,
Barua Worley
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
theory in action
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1937-0237
pISSN - 1937-0229
DOI - 10.3798/tia.1937-0237.2116
Subject(s) - prison , history , institution , event (particle physics) , criminology , economic justice , law , sociology , media studies , political science , physics , quantum mechanics
In his book, Fire in the Big House, criminal justice historian, Mitchel P. Roth provides readers with an in-depth analysis of America’s deadliest penal disaster. The book specifically examines a horrific fire which occurred at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio on April 21, 1930—Easter Monday. Even though 320 prisoners perished in this devastating event (plus two more inmates who died later of gunshots indirectly related to the fire), the author notes that there has never been a scholarly book devoted to this topic. Although this event caused only $11,000 in damage to the Columbus institution, Roth contends that it still ranks as America’s third-worst fire (excluding 9/11).