Author and activist Luther Benson was well-known for his memoirs "Fifteen Years in Hell," which detailed his experiences in the late 19th-century American jail system. Benson, who was born in 1838, devoted a large portion of his life to promoting prison reform and imparting his personal knowledge of the difficult conditions encountered by prisoners. Adversity characterized Benson's life, including his false conviction for a crime he did not commit, which resulted in a fifteen-year prison sentence. Benson's drive to bring attention to the inequities of the prison system was fueled by the horrible conditions and abuse he experienced while incarcerated. Benson committed himself to prison reform after being released, speaking out against the cruel treatment of prisoners and supporting rehabilitation as an alternative to punishment. His autobiography, "Fifteen Years in Hell," was a potent testimony to the shortcomings and inequities of the criminal justice system, raising public awareness and assisting with ongoing reform initiatives. Benson's writings are still valued for their influence on campaigns for prison reform and for illustrating how resilient the human spirit can be in the face of hardship. Despite the fact that not much is known about Benson's life outside of his writings and activism, his support of social justice and his significant contributions to both activism and literature have left a lasting legacy.