Overview
The first memoir by a victim of Burge's torture ring, one of the most horrifically racist government-organized practices in America since the days of slavery
A harrowing memoir of wrongful conviction, police torture, and the fight for justice in Chicago.Ronald Kitchen, a young black man, faces brutal torture by Chicago police, leading to a false confession for a quintuple homicide. Wrongfully convicted, he spends two decades in prison, fighting for exoneration. This is more than a personal story; it exposes the Midnight Crew, a rogue group of detectives terrorizing Chicago's African American communities.
Kitchen's resilience shines as he co-founds the Death Row 10, battling injustice from within prison walls. His case becomes a catalyst for change, influencing the fight against the death penalty in Illinois. This memoir unveils the deep scars of institutional racism and celebrates the power of survival and resistance. Perfect for readers interested in true crime, legal dramas, and social justice narratives.
Reviews
“Ronald Kitchen’s story is scalding, emotional, and ultimately redemptive—a descent into hell with a happy ending. My Midnight Years should be read by all Americans, but especially those who still live in denial about police corruption and institutional racism. Read this book, then pass it on to a friend, neighbor, sibling, or coworker; it will open eyes and raise the ire of anyone who cares about criminal justice in the United States.”
—T. J. ENGLISH, author of The Savage City, The Corporation, and Havana Nocturne
“Decades of police torture and prosecutorial complicity devastated black Chicago and filled Illinois’s prisons. In this moving memoir, Ronald Kitchen chronicles what that violence meant for him, his family, and so many others. . . . Don’t miss this harrowing, heartbreaking tale of injustice, survival, and resistance.” —DAN BERGER, author of Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era
“Ronald Kitchen not only survived his prison ordeal but describes his experience in moving detail; he has emerged as a strong spokesman against the atrocities of Jon Burge and his Midnight Crew.” —JEFFREY HAAS, author of The Assassination of Fred Hampton
“Ronald Kitchen’s memoir of surviving and resisting racist police torture and thirteen years on death row is maddening and moving. It’s hard to read and hard to put down. . . . The full rot of the criminal injustice system is on display here, but Ronnie’s stark prose makes us also see the courage and resilience of those on the inside.” —MARTHA BIONDI, author of The Black Revolution on Campus and To Stand and Fight
Author Biography
Ronald Kitchen was tortured into a false confession and spent two decades in prison. He cofounded the Death Row 10 to fight his conviction and was exonerated in 2009. Thai Jones is the author of More Powerful than Dynamite and A Radical Line. Logan McBride specializes in US prison history and has been following the Chicago police scandal for 15 years.
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