The Prison Letters of Martin Sostre

Documents of Resistance

Bibliographic Data

ID19005079
AuthorsWarren L Schaich (Department of Sociology Ene Community College, corresponding author), Diane Hope (0000-0002-4649-5833, University at Buffalo, State University of New York), Diane S Hope (Department of Communication State University of New York at Buffalo)
Year1977
Volume7
Issue3
Pages281-300
Publication date1977-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Black Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-9347 • E-ISSN: 1552-4566
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/002193477700700303
OpenAlexW1968076082
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited9

On July 14, 1967, Martin Sostre, owner of an Afro-Asian bookstore in Buffalo's Black ghetto, was arrested and charged with inciting to riot, arson, and possession and sale of narcotics. Unable to raise $50,000 in bail (later reduced to $25,000), Sostre remained locked in the County Jail until his trial. On March 7, 1968, eight months later, the arson and riot charges had been dropped; he was convicted by an all-white jury for selling $15 worth of heroin and sentenced to prison for 31 to 41 years. One hour later he was in prison, where he remained until Governor Hugh Carey of New York State granted clemency to Sostre on Christmas Eve, 1975. This case has attracted national attention because of the real possibility of Sostre's innocence in the accused crime.' The only witness for the state, Arto Williams, a known drug addict, testified that he bought the heroin from Sostre. But in May of 1973, Williams admitted perjuring his original testimony, claiming a deal was made with police for his own

Criminology · Prison · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Psychology · Race, History, and American Society · Rhetoric and Communication Studies

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