In 1961 George Jackson was convicted of armed robbery, for robbing a gas station at gunpoint and at age 18 was sentenced to serve one year to life in prison.[nb 1]
During his first years at San Quentin State Prison, Jackson became involved in gang activity as well as assaults on guards and fellow inmates, extending his original sentence with each infraction. He was described by prison officials as egocentric and anti-social.[4] in 1966, Jackson met and befriended W.L. Nolen who introduced him to Marxist and Maoist ideology. The two founded the Black Guerrilla Family in 1966 based on Marxist and Maoist political thought.[5] As Jackson's disciplinary infractions grew he spent more and more time in solitary confinement where he studied political economy and radical theory. He also wrote many letters to friends and supporters which would later be edited and compiled into the books Soledad Brother and Blood in My Eye, which became bestsellers and brought him a great deal of attention from the left wing ...
