Biography
Alf Hill Jr. was one of the "Leavenworth Brothers" — six prisoners (four Black and two Chicano) charged in connection with the July 31, 1973 rebellion at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. As The Black Panther reported (September 7, 1974), their supporters, organized as the Leavenworth Brothers Offense/Defense Committee and joined by antiwar priest Philip Berrigan at an August 16, 1974 rally, held that the men had been framed and made scapegoats by the prison administration because of their leadership in protesting the penitentiary's inhumane conditions. The mutiny and assault charges against Alf Hill Jr. were dropped in August 1974.
The Black Panther (March 9, 1974, p. 8) identified Hill in a captioned photograph being carried to a February 13 appearance at the federal magistrate court in Leavenworth. The article described his protest against forced searches, the charges, and confinement conditions following the July 1973 rebellion. Source: https://www.lincoln.edu/_files/langston-hughes-memorial-library/Black%20Panthers%20Newspaper%20Publications/BP03091974.pdf
The March 3, 1975 VVAW/WSO newsletter names this Leavenworth prisoner among the four men designated for long-term segregation and lists him at USP Marion, with Ralph Aaron listed as warden. The organization described the segregation as reprisal for the July 1973 rebellion and asked supporters to demand placement in general population. This is a dated historical custody observation and attributed repression allegation, not a new admission, release, sentence duration or current institution. Its report of assault/inciting convictions is retained as a contemporary account rather than silently replacing the existing disposition of mutiny charges.
A later report in The Black Panther, October 12, 1974, stated that the jury found Alf Hill Jr. and the other three Black Leavenworth defendants guilty on September 24, 1974 of inciting to riot, assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. The account reported testimony that they had been in solitary confinement during the July 31, 1973 rebellion and disputed prosecution testimony concerning August 1. Defense lawyers planned a new-trial motion and appeal. These later verdicts are distinct from the earlier dismissal of particular charges; no actual release or new admission date is established. The report identifies the court as U.S. District Court, Wichita, Kansas. Judge Frank Theis presided at the reported September 1974 verdict. This trial-stage identification is distinct from the earlier arraignment judge already recorded.
Original contemporary source 1 ; Original contemporary source 2.
The Westport Trucker’s March 29–April 4, 1974 issue listed Alf Hill Jr., historical prisoner number 87066, among the seven Leavenworth Brothers seeking independent defense assistance. It described a petition signed by 325 inmates and the National Council of Black Lawyers’ involvement. The report does not establish his original jail admission or eventual release.
The Weekly Westport Trucker, March29–April4,1974, PDF page 4.
The November 2, 1974 Black Panther individually named Alf Hill Jr. among four Leavenworth prisoners sentenced on October 7, 1974 after their September 24 convictions arising from the July 1973 prison rebellion. The report gives a range of ten to twenty years for the group without assigning each individual term.
The Black Panther, November 2, 1974, PDF page 8; The Black Panther, November 2, 1974, PDF page 22.
