Descent into Madness: An Inmate's Experience of the New Mexico State Prison Riot

By Mike Rolland

New Softcover (1997) published by Anderson Publishing, OH. Cover has slight shelf-wear along the edges but nothing major (I will forward photos upon request). Prompt shipping with a Free Delivery... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870847481
• ISBN13: 9780870847486
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Anderson Pub Co
• Length: 153 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.3" x 0.5" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

A Foxhole View of the Riot

"Descent into Madness" differs from the other books about the 1980 Sante Fe Prison riot in that it puts the reader in the prison and into the riot itself. Rather than an overview of familiar events, Rolland takes you on a journey as if you were with him, sloshing through the dark, smoke filled, flooded halls ... stumbling upon mutilated corpses, seeing blood smeared everywhere and experiencing the fear of what or who might be lurking around every corner. The book is a dark tale, literally and figuratively, of how a handful of hardened convicts make a decision to do the right thing and risk their lives to protect two prison guards being hunted by groups of revenge-fueled killers. The atmosphere described is no less than that of a zoo in which all the cages have been opened ... a free-for-all where the powerful prey on the weak and the unsuspecting ... no one is safe. Rolland does an effective job creating the creepy atmosphere of such a horrific event ... from the smell of burning flesh, the distant screaming of victims caught by marauding groups of killers, the grisly remains lying quietly throughout the rooms and pitch-black corridors, the nearby sounds of unknown people trying to silence their walking through the flooded hallways and the terror of not knowing who is in the darkness ahead or behind, waiting to pounce. You end up breathing a sigh of relief as the riot ends, feeling like you made it out of the carnage with the author. What i thought was missing from the book was closure ... after he writes about the riot's end, he briefly notes that he lost contact with all involved. But, I am interested in knowing what was going through his head immediately after the riot ... did he eventually return to santa fe? is he haunted by what he witnessed or fear that it may happen again ... or is he such a hardened convict that is was "business as usual" following the riot? I read this book wondering how any of the inmates who didn't participate in the atrocities felt about being put back in a cell and try to find away to sleep with the eyes closed ... reading about it is bad enough ... experiencing it first hand would seem traumatic. Since it was written over 10 years ago ... I'm interested in a follow-up from the author. Far too few book have been written by this amazing event ... there are lessons to be learned from the 1980 riot and more people need to be aware that many of our prisons are cauldrons of corruption that fuel a seething hatred in the men inside ... day after day, the cauldrons are tested with their hazardous contents remaining level at the lip ... Sante Fe is just an example of one of those cauldrons that finally boiled over.

Excellent and Disturbing

"Descent Into Madness" provides an excellent and thought-provoking account of one inmate's experience in the bloodiest prison riot the nation has ever seen. Despite what one reviewer has stated, this author does not make claims to heroism, nor does he attempt to give a complete overview of the riot. In fact, he downplays his actions and questions his own deeds. Indeed, he was not even present when most of the ghastliest events took place (the exception being the murder in the chapel, which he describes in gory detail and seems to agonize over the right or wrong of the event). Instead, he describes his own part in the riot, and shows his gradual ASCENT rather than descent, from his initial part in helping to ransack the institution to the tireless efforts of both himself and his comrades to rescue wounded inmates and protect two hostage guards, never once attempting to glorify himself or anyone else. The events are presented, rather, simply as "something that happened," without passing judgment on the events or attempting to make anyone stand out. It is a tale of a struggle to survive and maintain sanity while in the midst of an unimaginable nightmare. In the end, it shows how a certain level of grace can be attained in even the most hellish of circumstances. A must-read!

This book is hard to put down once you start, but....

I thought that the book really keeps the reader interested. But, the author seems to be trying to pass himself off as a hero. Some of the most famous or notorious inmates of the riot were not even mentioned. Overall, it is an interesting book and well worth the price.

An excellent read, but truly disturbing

This book was an excellent account of one of the worst prison riots of all time. It kept me awake at night, for two reasons: I could not put the book down, and it is truly horrible to read about the heinous things human beings will do to one another. What makes it all the more sobering is to know that is all true and really happened. This is not the product of some over-active imagination. The book gives the reader the feel of actually being in the thick of the mayhem, as well as the fear and confusion of not knowing what was happening from moment to moment. The author brings humanity to the characters, making you feel almost as if you know them. Highly recommended reading.