The Attica Riot

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Of the many radical political stands taken during the ideological turning point that defined the 1970’s as a decade, a failed prison riot in upstate New York is among the most important. The 1971 riot at Attica Correctional Facility not only encompasses many of the political movements of the ‘70s but is also a microcosm of the political, racial, and religious divides and issues that can still be seen today.
The animus of the Attica riots started not at Attica itself, but 2 hours east at Auburn Correctional Facility. Auburn’s inmates revolted in protest of poor prison conditions and unfair treatment. They were promised fair negotiations and amnesty if they let the hostages go. When Auburn’s protestors released the hostages, their demand for …show more content…
According to the 1970 Census, there were almost 4 times as many blacks in prison (state/federal) than should be expected given their percentage of the general population. Attican prisoners were 54% Black, 37% White, and 9% Puerto Rican. Out of the 380 guards employed at the time of the riot, there was only 1 Black officer and 1 Puerto Rican. One particular officer unknowingly summed the concern up when he responded “I had one that went to school with me” when asked if he had any experience with black people prior to his job at Attica. This lack of representation was particularly problematic for Puerto Ricans. Some Puerto Rican prisoners understood very limited amounts of English when they first arrived at Attica. Despite this, there were absolutely zero accommodations at Attica for primary Spanish speakers. Many couldn’t understand the rulebook given to them when they arrived at Attica and had to learn the rules via trial and error. For many this resulted in extended periods of “keeplock” (solitary confinement) for unknowingly disobeying procedures. If you were a primary Spanish speaker with a medical issue than you were out of luck. There were no Spanish doctors and no translators were ever requested to assist doctors in treating their Puerto Rican patients. Racial discrimination at Attica reflected the broader trend across the country and became a primary cause for the …show more content…
33 prisoners and 10 hostages dead along with many more severely wounded. Before any evidence came out there was speculation that hostages’ throats were slit by the prisoners. This would remain the narrative of some even after Dr. John Edland, Monroe County medical examiner, told the world that the gunshot wounds were the conclusive causes of death for all 8 hostages that he examined. State officials, skeptical of the autopsy findings, subsequently summoned the New York City medical examiner, Dr. Michael Baden to perform the autopsies over again. Baden’s report echoed Dr. Edland’s initial conclusions. All of the hostages that died during the retaking died of gunshot wounds despite the blaming of the primarily black and Muslim group that actually protected the
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