George Jackson (1941-1971) was sentenced to "one year to life" in prison when he was eighteen, after he was found guilty of stealing 70 dollars from a gas station. While incarcerated he became an activist, a Marxist, a member of the Black Panther Party, and an author. In 1971 he was shot to death by prison guards in San Quentin Prison, who claimed he was trying to escape. In 1988, trial testimony disclosed a setup by the police to silence Jackson, a revolutionary author and speaker.