Remembering New York's Attica Prison Riot of September 9, 1971: Thirtyseven Years Later, How Much Has Really Changed Since Then?

1971 was a year of revolution, a time of change and a time for action. With the war in Vietnam, people were protesting on the streets, while others dodged the draft. Feminist were protesting for female equality, gays were "coming out of the closet" and blacks were marching for civil rights. Militant groups were forming such as The Black Panthers, (SDS), Students for a Democratic Society, and The Weathermen. And it was a time of unrest in America's prison system as well. Prison conditions were deplorable, and prisons were becoming overcrowded. Richard Nixon declared "The War on Drugs" at that time, and non violent drug users were being arrested and convicted for drug sales and use. What started as the "War on Drugs' would soon become a war on human rights.

A series of events would start to happen as a "Prison Rights Movement" was underway. Tension had already been building up in California's San Quentin prison in 1970 when three Black Panthers, George Jackson, John Clutchette, and Fleeta Drumgo were all charged with the murder of a prison guard, John V. Mills. According to Wickipedia, it was said to have been a retaliation for the murder of 3 black prisoners in Soledad prison by a guard named O.G. Miller. Jackson, Clutchette and Drumgo became known as The Soledad Brothers.(wikipedia)

Six months later 17 year old brother of George Jackson, Jonathan, along with William Christmas, and James McClain, would invade the Marin County Courthouse in an attempt to free the Soledad Brothers. Holding Judge Harold Haley hostage, and releasing several prisoners, the three black activist and Judge were all killed while attempting to flee the courthouse according to Wickipedia.

It wouldn't end there, however. The following year in August of 1971 George Jackson with a gun in hand released "an entire floor of prisoners" in which 3 more guards were killed, and 2 inmates thought to be snitches were killed as well as Jackson himself. (Wikipedia) This would spark an uprising in prisoners in New York's Attica prison, and the following month inmates in New York's Attica prison would begin to riot on September 9, 1971. This would be a riot that lasted for 4 days, resulting in 39 deaths, and a large number of injuries.

Among some of the grievances Prisoners in the Attica riot demanded were better humane conditions and complained that they were issued only 1 roll of toilet paper a month. They demanded better sanitary conditions and complained that they were allowed only 1 shower a week. They also complained about racial slurs and bigotry from prison staff, and according to Wikipedia, the guards refereed to their batons as "nigger sticks." They demanded more minority staff be hired. Inmates complained that mail was censored, and tampered with.

At the time of the Attica prison riots, there were approximately 2,225 inmates residing there, when the prison was erected for app.1,200, bringing the amount to over double. And of those prisoners, 54% were said to be black. "The Correctional Association of New York" visited Attica State prison in March, 2005 and reported that the number of inmates residing there were 2,190. The group alleges "We were struck by a widespread sense of fear and intimidation among inmates."

The group also reported that grievances had increased dramatically and the most highly grieved area was staff conduct, with medical grievances second. The group also had major concerns with the inmates with mental problems there also.

The biggest complaint the inmates at Attica have now is of staff abuse, according to TCAONY. The inmates allege physical abuse, intimidation, inappropriate force, retaliation for filing grievances, denying inmates access to programs, and sexual abuse. The group claims they heard these complaints throughout the facility so frequently that they concluded that "a serious problem exists at Attica that requires immediate attention." Some of the forms of abuse according to the group were shutting off inmates water, and or lights, denying meals to the inmates, and denying recreation.

The group also had concerns of the medical treatment of inmates, which consisted of long waits to be seen, and inadequate medical treatment. The group reported that routine appointments can take anywhere from several weeks to 2 months.

However, the visiting rooms were clean and bright according to the group, but female visitors complained about sexual harassment. They also complained that their visits were shortened when prison staff took an unusual amount of time to process the visits.

So, in my conclusion and research, it appears that not much has changed since 1971. Attica is still a prison with many problems and much abuse toward the inmates. It is a prison with many mentally ill prisoners, and guards who are over aggressive, abusive and retaliatory. Not a good mix, in my opinion.

I have been contacted by inmates in the New York prison system who wish to contribute their comments to this article. These are men living within the walls of New York's prison system, and this is what they have had to say.

In a letter from an inmate named Kasseen, he wrote me saying, "in 2002, I was sentenced to 10 years for armed robbery at the age of 21. No GED, workskills and a temper. Today 6 years later, I have my high school equivalency diploma. an apprenticeship certificate as a councelors aide in HIV/AIDS, hands on experience in coordinating prison programs and events. All this not because I was encouraged by D.O.C., but rather my fellow comrades who motivated me to do more, and be more than just a prisoner. The first step toward getting change to happen around you is to seek change from within first. I say that as the foundation to any movement surrounding change the consciousness of the people for better or more developed internally which creates action.

Before Sept. 9th grievances and several petitions were filed regarding poor and inhuman living conditions. Not to count the brutality and beatings the prison guards issued at their own will. Once prisoners stop oppressing one another the pressure turns to the real oppressors. Aug. 21 in California a well known prisoner by the name of George Jackson was killed by prison guards. Attica prisoners refused to eat breakfast and wore armbands in commemoration to George and the new consciousness of prisoners which all aided to the September 9th uprising.

The real deal, the riots brought a lot of change within New York prisons, more programs, ILC commenties, visits, etc. It also opened the doors for black and Latino officers. Commissary is still over priced, if you have no outside support your pretty much twisted. C.o.'s still have no problem putting their hands on you or taking out their home problems on us. Supplies are limited from time to time, mainly they're on top of that because those grievances will go to Albany which can cause a problem to that particular facility if they're in the wrong. There is still racism, still dehumanization but we will not be broken. Over all jail is not the place you wanna be. No more college problems though brothers are trying to get that back, it may happen, it may not, education begins amongst us comrades, and those in the streets that love and believe in us.

Major salute to the brothers of September 9th, Attica uprising and their valuable blood driven toward change. Also thank you for caring enough about the issue, our issues.

My Name is Jonathan. I am an Inmate here in the NY Prison System. I have been in the system since 1996. Someone I consider a real brother and friend asked me to contribute to the piece that you are writing for the anniversary of the 1971 Attica Riot. I hope what I have to say can be of help to you. I only ask that you understand that my personal views are from a subjective point as I see it, both negative as well as positive.

The Attica riot as I have been told by the older brothers was the most massive and devastating riot in the history of the prison system in this nation. I came into the system 27 years after the riot, and I can tell you that a lot has changed from then to now. Just within the past 14 years I have witnessed a lot of change. Some for the better, some for the worst. As a whole, I feel that sadly, a lot has been forgotten in regard to what the brothers who of that time sacrificed and died for, and more, a lot is being taken for granted today. Some of that which our comrades fought and died for as a result of the riot still stands. Things like the Inmate Grievance program, ILC, and a lot of the programs and privileges granted, still exist today. Yet as the younger generations come through the system, they don't realize what it took for them to be able to have some of the things that we as prisoners have today.

Things such as supplies, including toilet paper, tooth paste, ect, are limited. Past out on a monthly basis in some facilities, and in others on a weekly basis.

Officials are in a lot of ways still racist. The further up north you go, the more open it is. Often we see or here in the newspapers that the rate of inmate on staff assault rate has dropped or risen. This in itself is one of the biggest lies I have witnessed in the NY system. I am not saying that there are no instances where a prisoner hasn't assaulted an officer or staff, but it's few. Most of those cases listed, in reality, the inmate was handcuffed and subdued before being beaten to a point where he could no longer scream, and still beaten for minutes beyond that. This I have witnessed on many occasions.

There was once a time where if there was a problem where a fellow prisoner was in danger of being unjustly beaten, other prisoners would stop and look on as officers did there jobs in handling the situation, and the result was more than likely that a man would not have to suffer that sort of thing. I have seen this in my early years in the system. Yet as the years have gone by, I have seen instances were inmates instead of assessing the situation, keep walking by as if they see nothing. That unity amongst prisoners is slowly but surely depleting.

In my early years, I can remember a time when September 13th was a day when prisoners in facilities state wide would go to mess-hall only to take the utensils, however would not eat meals provided by the state. This was and is our way of paying some form of homage to those brothers who gave their lives. Its a sad and embarrassing thing to say that it has been more than five years since I have seen more than 15 brothers remember not to eat mess-hall food on that day. A day when we should depend on ourselves and our fellow prisoners for the need to eat that day.

Every year the Department of Corrections publishes its bimonthly news letter DOCS Today dedicated to the Attica riot, and the Department of Corrections has its parade in Albany, NY. Its fund raisers and its way of remembering what happened that day. I feel that even though we as prisoners cannot do these things, we fall, short within ourselves by slowly forgetting our comrades and that dreadful day.

The educational programs were taken away. At one time Prisoners everywhere could enroll in collage courses and get education. That's not the case today.

Often I have asked myself if the Attica riot was necessary. And honestly, I believe in some ways yes, it may have been necessary at that time. Could the massacre have been avoided? in my heart, I hope that in some way it could have been. Yet the reality of it all is that the end result is what it became, and that's something that in every way affects every prisoner and member of staff in the NY State Prison System, whether they realize it or not.

No one, I believe, would know this system as we do today if that had happened did not happen. Although the outcome of that riot was and is horrifying, we as prisoners have a lot to be thankful for, and we prisoners who came after those brothers owe those brothers a lot more that I believe we give.

For those prisoners today who hold on to the meaning and spirit of what the prisoners of the Attica riot stood up for, I commend them. These are true men who understand that although at some time we were and are wrong in our judgment and actions, we still know our past and although we move on in the future we can not forget the brothers of our past. For if not for them things would be very different.

For those, of us who have served time in the NY prison system and are free in the world. I ask, From one man to another if we could wear green on every September 13th to symbolize or remembrance, and thanks for and to those brothers for what they bravely did for us of today's time.

(authors note: This article will be submitted as display only in order to edit and add more inmate contributions in the future. I welcome input from all inmates concerning prison conditions)

Sources:

Wikipedia (Soledad Brothers)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soledad_Brothers

The Correctional Association of New York

http://correctionalassociation.org/PVP/publications/facility_reports/Attica_3-17-05.pdf
Attica prison Riots
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attica_Prison_riots