Prison Riots

An analysis of the three most notorious riots in the US shows differences in the revolts but also reveals significant similarities in the conditions that helped triggered the riots.

This could help control and perhaps prevent riots in the future. Prison riots involve a seizure of control, violence, and inmate demands for changes in the prison. Since the first prison riot in the United States in 1774, some 300 prison riots have been reported in this country in the past two centuries (Fox, 1972). Not surprisingly, prison inmates stage disturbances and riots and take hostages to air grievances. These disturbances and riots often erupt as acts of desperation among inmate leaders who have come to believe that it is a last resort to get a hearing from prison officials, policy makers, and the public about unfair policies or deplorable conditions in prisons. After riots like New Mexico and Attica shook the criminal justice community, corrections practitioners began to take stock of lessons they could learn to help prevent similar tragedies from occurring. Large, crowded institutions are ripe for rioting, and this includes most American prisons today. The prison at Santa Fe was filled beyond capacity at the time of the 1980 riot. Approximately 1,136 men were housed in an institution designed for 900 (Remembering, 1991).

The prison riots at the Attica State Correctional Facility in New York in 1971 and at the New Mexico Penitentiar

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ent and line staff. * Role conflicts were common among the prison staff, pitting those who emphasized control and custody goals against those who emphasized case management and treatment. * Disciplinary procedures were a source of conflict in the prisons; no systematic procedures to resolve inmate grievances were being followed. * There had been complaints of harassment and brutality toward inmates at all three prisons just prior to the riots. * Mentally ill inmates were not handled appropriately and were disruptive to prison routine. * The prisons had no adequate plans for riots and other emergencies. * Many of the corrections officers were poorly trained and ill-prepared for their duties. Inept handling of security details was a factor that triggered each of the riots. * Administrative changes had led to periods of extreme tension just before the riots broke out; most employees had recognized warning signs and indications of trouble that gave clear signals that crises were imminent. * Officials responded to tensions with ill-designed efforts meant to tighten controls. Attempts to maximize control backfired when inmates erupted into violence and took control over the prison. Prisoners: Individual Factors * Incoming inmates to th
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Approximate Word count = 3039
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)

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