Herbert Rice

Survivor

Interview: 2 Hours, 2 Cameras

Herbert Rice Pauses for a Moment in Front of Holmesburg Prison

In his interview, Herbert Rice, age 78, recounts his experience as a prisoner at Holmesburg Prison from 1968 to 1969, where he participated in numerous medical experiments run by the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Albert Kligman. He describes how he transferred to “H Block,” known as the “money block,” where most of the testing occurred and inmates joined studies to earn small payments. His tests included a “milkshake study” to monitor weight, multiple skin injection trials that caused blistering, and a “metabolic test” involving pills and radiation exposure that he believes caused lifelong physical and psychological damage. Herbert details time spent in solitary confinement, his descent into addiction and mental illness after release, and decades of nightmares and trauma tied to the experiments. He connects the abuses at Holmesburg to broader exploitation, comparing them to the case of Henrietta Lacks and even the Holocaust. Despite years of suffering, institutionalization, and family loss, he found stability through recovery programs and advocacy with the Jones Foundation, helping push for reparations and public acknowledgment. Throughout the conversation, Herbert expresses deep distrust of doctors, lingering anger toward Kligman and Penn, and a commitment to sharing his story to honor those who can no longer speak for themselves.