Research Methods & Evidence
John L. Spivak sought to expose the injustice that existed within the Georgia prison systems in the early twentieth century, and thus needed to visit Georgia prisons in order to collect the necessary evidence for his novel. He used his skills as a well-seasoned reporter to obtain entry into the prisons and permission to record his findings, as well as obtain certain documents from the prison. The following items help to illustrate his research process and the type of evidence he collected while in Georgia.
Gaining Access
This letter, signed by Vivian Stanely of The Georgia Prison Commission in 1931, informs all wardens that John L. Spivak will conduct investigations of the prison conditions and encourages co-operation. It demonstrates the verification he had to obtain in order to gain access to the prisons and conduct his investigative research.
Prison System Documentation
This report depicts one method of torture implemented by the Georgia prison system to ensure that laborers never broke the rules. The whipping report was changed to say hours restricted, possibly referring to another type of torture or detention that the prisoners underwent. Some of the last names mentioned on this report are repeated, suggesting close family members being detained together, and some names are written multiple times. The most common cause for punishment is not working, though some minor crimes included “having dice,” as personal possessions violated the rules of the camps. This item was especially significant in Spivak's research, as it demonstrated factual evidence of cruel punishment, verified and signed by the warden, which was a type of evidence he was able to cite in the index of his novel.