Inmate 31114

About the Book

Jeff Keith was an early draft resister, refusing to serve in the U.S. armed forces beginning in 1964 when he was 19. This is the story of the time he spent in prison from April, 1965, until May, 1966. While he was in prison, many others began resisting the draft. His witness grew out of concerns for racial justice and the brotherhood/sisterhood of all people, which also implied opposition to colonialism and imperialism on the international level and to the dominance of the world by Europeans and North Americans.

About the Author

Jeff Keith grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, in a politically liberal family. At age 16 he discovered the branch of the Quakers that had a progressive, liberal philosophy and he changed religions. He worked for civil rights for African Americans in the early 1960s and learned the philosophy of nonviolent resistance, which led him to refuse to join the U.S. armed forces. After serving time in prison, he lived in alternative lifestyles for many years, such as with progressive-minded people in communal houses. He earned a master's degree in Spanish at age 38 and has now worked for many years editing a medical dictionary in English. He is a representative to the international body of the Quakers and frequently travels to Latin America.