1971 Attica Prison Riots

Essay by jimpHigh School, 11th gradeA, January 2003

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On the day of September 9,1971 there was an incident that changed the U.S. It was the Attica Prision Riots. Prisioners seized control of the Correctional Facility taking several hostages. There were negeotion attempts but they failed. Action was takin by the New York State governer Nelson Rockefeller. He ordered state troopers to retake D yard. It was a four day siege, the incident cost the lives of 11 prison guards and 32 inmates. The stand off ended after the state troopers stormed the prison on September 13,1971. Eighty people were wounded, the type of response used became a symbol of excessive use of government force. This is all occured because certain demands prisoners had. When they took 40 guards hostage they had certain demands like better living conditions including showers, education and vocational training.

The attica prision riots was an important event in criminology for many reasons. One reason is this event united 1,000 different prisoners to rebel.

It was an uprising by all the criminals in the prison with the same goal. This was a huge event in prison history. Where all the prisoners were able to combine their common beliefs into a policticized uprising. This effected the way prison are handled the preveliges criminals can have and the way action would be taking if the incident repeats.

The resolution of the event was a major step 4 days later 1,000 armed state troopers raided the prison. While they went up agianst 1,000 unarmed criminals. Over 40 people died including 10 of the 30 hostages. The long term effects of the resolution was this act was followed by families sueing the state. In 1983 twenty suits were tossed out. This riot alllowed for criminals to get rights they would never have. In January 1000 the state and the...