Overview
A captivating account of the most corrupt and blood-soaked chapters in Chicago law enforcement history In December 1969, the FBI, the Chicago Police Department, and the office of States Attorney, led by rising political star Edward V. Hanrahan, conspired to assassinate Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, and then flagrantly covered up their misconduct. Thirteen years later, Jackie Wilson was tortured by the same police department and wrongfully incarcerated for thirty-six years. Drawing on unique insights from his role as a leading opposition lawyer in both cases, award-winning author Flint Taylor details the vast political corruption uncovered in the Hampton case and the twists and turns of Wilson's forty-year effort to win his freedom. With blistering clarity and righteous indignation, The Conviction Machine shines a penetrating light on the sordid world of prosecutorial misconduct and police violence.
Full Product Details
Author: Flint Taylor
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Imprint: Haymarket Books
ISBN: 9798888906347
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 19 May 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
General
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
Praise for The Torture Machine: ""If it was not for Flint Taylor I would still be languishing in prison. He brought hope to a hopeless place."" —Darrell Cannon, torture survivo ""It is impossible to fully understand the continuing challenges created by unjustifiable police violence against black and brown people without appreciating the historical backdrop that sustains this national crisis. Flint Taylor's powerful new book, informed by his decades as one of the most effective advocates addressing these issues, is a must-read."" —Bryan Stevenson, best-selling author of Just Mercy ""Taylor is a walking passcode to CPD misconduct. It was Taylor and his colleagues who unearthed the crimes committed by the “Midnight Crew,” a squad of racist cops who tortured blacks to extract their false confessions."" —Rolling Stone ""Taylor's The Torture Machine is a sad but necessary reminder of how citizens can be victimized by those who are supposed to protect them and how that abuse can poison entire neighborhoods. But it is also a story of a hard-won hope that resulted in some degree of justice for victims and an effort to remind children of what once happened in the hope that it won't be repeated. The book is a chronicle of tenacity and hope alongside brutality and injustice, and in that way it is a profoundly Chicago story."" —Psychology Today ""[A] searing memoir... essential reading for all who care about this country—past and future."" —Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Blood in the Water ""Incredible and devastating."" —Jeremy Scahill ""If you want to understand what actually happened to those Jon Burge tortured read this book. "" —Anthony Holmes, Torture survivor ""[Torture Machine] is a riveting account...a forensic analysis of decades of collusion between judges, politicians, prosecutors and the police to engage in systemic human rights violations."" —Juan Gonzalez ""[A] harrowing tale...Taylor illuminates in graphic detail the scars caused by some of the worst elements of law enforcement in a city perpetually beset by violence."" —Kirkus ""Harrowing...Taylor writes with conviction and empathy."" —Publishers Weekly ""[A] compelling book...."" — Booklist, Starred Review ""This book is a powerful testament to their courage and determination and is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what can happen when those in power condone violations of civil and constitutional rights for political expediency."" —Mary E. Howell, Civil Rights Attorney ""A stunning, sweeping history of police violence in Chicago, and Flint Taylor's lifelong pursuit of racial justice. Quite literally the work of a lifetime."" —Alison Flowers, Author of Exoneree Diaries: The Fight for Innocence, Independence, and Identity ""[A]n indispensable and searing account of the barbarous regime of policing under Jon Burge, and the ongoing fight for justice."" —Martha Biondi, author of To Stand and Fight. James Thindwa, Labor Activist and Board Member, In These Times. ""[A]n unsparing dissection of foundational racism in the criminal justice system ... It could not be more timely."" —Jaime Kalven, Investigative Reporter, Executive Director, Invisible Institute ""Each victim's case is a fascinating story in itself while the totality of the lawyers' efforts fighting a resistant establishment is staggering."" —The Observer
Praise for The Torture Machine ""If it was not for Flint Taylor I would still be languishing in prison. He brought hope to a hopeless place."" —Darrell Cannon, torture survivo ""It is impossible to fully understand the continuing challenges created by unjustifiable police violence against black and brown people without appreciating the historical backdrop that sustains this national crisis. Flint Taylor's powerful new book, informed by his decades as one of the most effective advocates addressing these issues, is a must-read."" —Bryan Stevenson, best-selling author of Just Mercy ""Taylor is a walking passcode to CPD misconduct. It was Taylor and his colleagues who unearthed the crimes committed by the “Midnight Crew,” a squad of racist cops who tortured blacks to extract their false confessions."" —Rolling Stone ""[A] searing memoir... essential reading for all who care about this country—past and future."" —Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Blood in the Water ""Incredible and devastating."" —Jeremy Scahill ""[A]n unsparing dissection of foundational racism in the criminal justice system ... It could not be more timely."" —Jaime Kalven, Investigative Reporter, Executive Director, Invisible Institute ""Each victim's case is a fascinating story in itself while the totality of the lawyers' efforts fighting a resistant establishment is staggering."" —The Observer
Author Information
As a law student, Flint Taylor was a founding member of the People’s Law Office and has been a partner of the PLO since 1972. As a student and lawyer, he has been dedicated to litigating against police violence and racism for more than fifty-four years. Among the landmark cases that Taylor has litigated are the Fred Hampton Black Panther case; the Greensboro, North Carolina case against the KKK, Nazis and Greensboro police; and a series of cases arising from a pattern and practice of police torture and cover-up by Chicago police Commander Jon Burge, former Cook County State’s Attorney and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and numerous other law enforcement officials. He has represented, and continues to represent, many wrongfully convicted persons, including police torture victims who have spent decades in prison and on death row. He has chronicled his work and that of the People’s Law Office in an award-winning historical memoir titled The Torture Machine.
