Published: June 23, 2008 09:43 am         

Bronx writer researching Abu Ghraib aftermath

CUMBERLAND - A freelance writer from Bronx, N.Y., made her fourth trip to Cumberland this week while researching information for a book on soldiers involved in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq.

The book, Justine Sharrock's first, will note what happened at Abu Ghraib but focus on how the rank-and-file soldiers who worked as prison guards were treated once they returned home. The idea came to her while conducting research for her master's thesis at Columbia University.

Parts of her thesis were published in the March/April edition of Mother Jones magazine under the title "Am I a Torturer?" Not exactly the title she would have chosen, Sharrock said. Instead, she would have suggested something less "attention-getting" like "Road Home from Abu Ghraib: The Aftermath."

Sharrock is focusing on four soldiers, including Abu Ghraib whistleblower Joe Darby of the U.S. Army Reserves 372nd Military Police Co. in Cresaptown. She said she wants to write about how the lower-ranking soldiers, including the former Corriganville resident, "were affected by national decisions."

She said despite a tantalizing headline, her writing isn't geared toward pointing blame at soldiers for what happened in Iraq.

"I've actually been criticized by some for being too sympathetic" to the soldiers, Sharrock said.

While researching the subject, she intends to learn as much about the soldiers' backgrounds as possible. That's why her visits to Cumberland are so important. While here, she's trying to gain an understanding of the mentality of, and the issues important to, people in Allegany County.

In essence, "Cumberland is a character in my book," Sharrock said.

She's interviewed people on a number of issues, including Re-Entry Associates and the clinic's ability to help veterans and the recent controversy surrounding the display and creation of hostile environments with the Confederate flag. She also asked about other issues, including the impact of the prison system as a major employer for the area and the region's foreclosure rates compared to the national average.

Sharrock, 31, was born in New York City and lived for 12 years in the San Francisco area. She returned to the Bronx but appreciates visiting towns such as Cumberland.

"I don't think I'm a big city girl," she said, adding she intends to relocate to the West Coast this fall and continue work on the book, to be published by the New York-based Wiley Publishing Co., while pursuing other freelance writing opportunities.

Anyone interested in sharing their stories with Sharrock can contact her via e-mail at sharrocker@hotmail.com.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.