Attica

Attica Maximum Security Prison
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Introduction
The Attica prison is a maximum security jail within the New York State (NYS) in the city of Attica and managed by the Correctional Services Department of NYS. It was built in the 1930s and held several very dangerous convicts (Forman, 2016). It also held other prisoners who were serving their sentences from short-term punishments to life imprisonment. Some of these inmates were taken to Attica due to disciplinary challenges they caused inside other prison facilities. In 1970, it had close to 2,300 prisoners who were allowed just a single bath once a week as well as given one roll of toilet paper every month. They could frequently sleep hungry since the state used only 63 cents for every inmate for the feeding program. Further, the Puerto Rican inmates encountered extraordinary prejudice, and the inmate mail was suppressed. The Blacks within the prison experienced the worst form of discrimination as they were downgraded to the lowest-paying duties as well as ethnically persecuted by the jail officers who were nearly all white men (Forman, 2016). These prison staffs were just the locals merely seeking stable employment. They lacked training on the way to handle prisoners who were always aggressive. Moreover, they were remunerated very poorly with several of them getting second work engagements to sustain themselves. However, despite these conditions, these prison staffs were required to watch over 60-120 inmates simultaneously (Forman, 2016).

Deriving power from the human rights campaigns of that period, Attica’s inmates pushed to better their living situations. However, they just obtained imprecise, unmet pledges from the authorities which infuriated the prisoners. Following months of escalating pressures, on 9/9/1971, the inmates seized an opportunity to revolt and staged a riot. In this paper, the writer shall discuss the uprising at the Attica prison and the lessons the US learns from the incident.
Riot at Attica
This uprising was the height of a rising dissatisfaction of the inmates at Attica. The prison situations in the US were deplorable such as there was serious congestion, near malnourishment, as well as a nearly total lack of medical treatment.
Forman (2016) explains that at the beginning of 1971, the prisons’ commissioner got a letter that detailed prisoners’ demands from a faction known as “Attica Liberation Faction.” This letter mentioned the way the prison management at Attica “do not regard or value the prisoners as humans.” They also demanded twenty-eight reforms comprising the enhancement of job as well as living circumstances and transformation within the medical system. The authority’s response to this letter was a punishment to anybody with the letter as well as tightening of inmate conditions.
Shortly, the prison management detected that the conventional groups along racial as well as religious frontiers were falling apart and the prisoners were building a new unity. The prison staff started to express their worries with others leaving their valuables at home just in case something occurs in the jail (Forman, 2016). On 8/9/1971, there was a fierce battle that made the inmates think, though wrongly, that their fellow inmate had been murdered after they witnessed prison officers moving his droopy body to the cell.
On 9/9/19971, the brewing tension erupted after a prisoner from lockdown was discharged and a fellow convict was able to toss the button to his cell gate, and some prisoners were locked within a corridor called A Tunnel, while they were from taking breakfast (Forman, 2016). Thinking they were going to undergo the same experience as the previous day’s prisoner, one of them assaulted an officer, and others instantly joined in the assault. Scared that they were going to suffer cruel punishments, the inmates started to take anything they might get to guard themselves. A few went into hiding due to fear, whereas the remaining considered it an opportunity to payback against officers or inmates who had mistreated them.
Several others from other blocks could observe the fracas, but others were only able to hear the scuffle. The word dispersed fast, and all over Attica jail, inmates were taking every weapon they might get as well as stripped the officers off the doors keys. Over 30 officers were captured as hostages within the jail yard (Thompson, 2016). Some inmates, however, safeguarded officers who had previously treated them in good ways.
The occurrences that took place in the subsequent 4 days included intense negotiations with a group of observers such as lawyer William Kunstler as well as journalist Tom Wicker, trying to help in the negotiations among the inmates and the authorities (Forman, 2016). Governor Rockefeller declined to appear in public, and several critics think this approach may have calmed the whole skirmish (Thompson, 2014).
The NYS Police came to the jail as a group from the first day of the incident with anticipation of retaking the jail through force. However, they were unable. With the president’s backing, the NYS Governor issued an order on the fifth day for the jail to be retaken using force. The order made several law enforcers, over 500 uniformed officers, to storm the jail that to some critics caused the death of some hostages (Forman, 2016). The retaking strategy required the officers to clear each block at a time after a gas had been dispersed. After the dropping of the gas, retaking became simple and fast. However, it had become evident that the troopers were not anymore just retaking the jail (retake was already attained); the officers appeared so resolute to make inmates pay dearly for their actions of revolt. The officers committed acts of cruelty that were very atrocious. They shot the inmates erratically and smashed their heads using the gun butts (Thompson, 2014). Thirty minutes following the start of the retake operation, over 128 people had sustained gunshots wounds with 29 inmates and 9 hostages dead.
Lessons from Attica Riot
First, the uprising presented a vivid message that individuals in all places, even the inmates, feel the necessity to object to the continuing racial prejudice in the US. Even though the inmates’ demands were rather basic such as better medical care, the inmates’ shouting which saturated the jail yard were prevalent with criticisms of US racial discrimination (Thompson, 2016). These comprised of racial prejudice which the prison officials displayed towards the black inmates. Further, there were racial prejudices among the prisoners themselves with the blacks and Puerto Rico facing discrimination from the white inmates (Thompson, 2016). The uprising in Attica strongly resonated the voices of other blacks and minority communities outside the jail walls both at that time and at present who maintain that they must be dealt with as humans.
Secondly, the retaking officers who caused the deaths were not prosecuted. This lack of prosecution was not because the officers were right in these killings or there was no enough proof to prosecute them. The officers acted with impunity since they were vigorously shielded from prosecution. When several Americans who stood up against racial prejudice were killed with impunity, it tells the present society much concerning the current crisis of police killings (Thompson, 2016). Attica’s incident illustrates that the police have a history of treating minority groups with cruelty and were not held responsible for those atrocities. The Attica’s incident also shows that if the police officials are not prosecuted for the crimes, people must not think that the officers are not guilty or there are is a lack of enough proof to indict them. In reality, Attica’s occurrence discloses that the police are shielded from prosecution.
Lastly, among other issues, the prisoners protested poor state of healthcare and inhumane treatment. The healthcare structures were deplorable, and the inmates were being treated with cruelty (Fischer, 2011). Following the uprising, the NYS prisons Department initiated and presently manages five health facilities which offer instant temporary treatment, whereas Walsh Health facility gives long-term healthcare. These health programs were not even distantly contemplated during the pre-Attica uprising period. Maybe the very vital programs which emerged immediately after the Attica uprising include the prisoners’ grievance as well as the prisoners’ liaison committee programs (Fischer, 2011). They are useful instruments which promote good communication among the prison users (inmates and officials).
Conclusion
In summary, Attica prison is a NYS’s maximum security jail that was established in the 1930s. It housed hardcore criminals. In 1971, these inmates were poorly treated with poor healthcare accessibility, poor nutrition, and racial discrimination. These conditions made the inmates stage an uprising that lasted 5 days. However, on the fifth day, the authorities retook the facility but with the retaking officers committing heinous crimes causing the death of many inmates. This occurrence teaches us that no matter where people are, they shall feel the necessity to object to the continuing racial prejudice in the US and some state officers are safeguarded from prosecution despite committing crimes. Lastly, the riot was due to the deplorable conditions of the prison, but since then the state has improved these conditions such as the provision of proper health care services.
References
Fischer, B. (2011). Lessons learned from the Attica tragedy. Timesunion.com. http://www.doccs.ny.gov/NewsRoom/external_news/2011-10-02_Lessons_learned_from_Attica_tragedy.pdf
Forman, J. (2016). Attica, Attica: The Story of the Legendary Prison Uprising. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 21 November 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/books/review/blood-in-the-water-attica-heather-ann-thompson.html?_r=0
Thompson, H. A. (2014). Lessons from Attica: From Prisoner Rebellion to Mass Incarceration and Back. Socialism and Democracy, 28(3), 153-171.
Thompson, H. (2016). Editorial: Lessons from the Attica prison uprising, 45 years later. NBC News. Retrieved 21 November 2016, from http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/lessons-attica-prison-uprising-45-years-later-n645276