Attica prison uprising

The Historical roots of "moratorium"

The Attica Prison uprising occurred at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York on September 9, 1971. Inmates, purportedly protesting for better living conditions, took over the prison for four days until the complex was stormed by over 1,000 New York state police and National guardsmen. Over 40 died, including 11 of 38 hostages.

The legacy of the Attica uprising is contentious and still stirs passions to this day. Reports at the time accused inmates of slitting throats, but subsequent investigations confirmed that most if not all deaths were the results of the effort to suppress the uprising by state police. Following a 2000 court ruling awarding $8 million dollars to 502 inmates and their families, a group called the Forgotten Victims of Attica comprised and survivors and relatives won a $12 million settlement with the state of New York on behalf of the slain prison guards.

The Attica prison uprising called attention to conditions inside prisons and led many to begin to consider prison issues in terms of human rights. The PMP points to the uprising as the beginning of the prison moratorium movement.