The Attica Prison Rebellion

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 27 September 2016

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

In 1971 inmates at Attica maximum security facility in New York State rioted and seized control of the jail, taking guards hostage. When negotiations failed, the authorities stormed the prison, dropping tear gas from helicopters and firing hundreds of live rounds. At least 39 people were killed, including nine of the hostages. Former prisoner, Carlos Roche, spoke to Rebecca Kesby and described the chaos. This programme was first broadcast in 2013.

(Photo: Rioting Inmates at the Attica maximum security facility, New York State Credit: AP)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and thank you for downloading this edition of Witness with me Rebecca Kessby.
0:05.0	Today we head for New York State and one of the most notorious prison rebellions in history.
0:10.0	It was sparked by allegations of bullying and fueled by widespread racism. On September 9, 1971, at around breakfast time, a small-scale dispute within Attica Maximum Security Prison suddenly
0:27.0	erupted into a full-on riot. Carlos Roach was serving a 35-year sentence for robbery and was in the bathroom.
0:36.2	I was in the shower. I took a shower and I came out the shower and the guy was driving down
0:41.9	the hallway with a forklift.
0:44.0	A prisoner?
0:45.0	Yeah.
0:46.0	And this was unheard of.
0:49.0	He drove the forklift into the gate.
0:51.0	He put the forks underneath the gate and he picked it up and it was on. They were shooting gas at him and guys was picking up the gas and throwing it back at the police.
1:04.0	It was on, it was, you know, total chaos.
1:07.0	That gate was an important control barrier.
1:10.0	Once open, the prisoners could get the run of the jail.
1:13.2	The mood at the prison had been deteriorating for months.
1:16.6	Attica had been built to hold around a thousand inmates, but in 1971, more than 2,000 men were imprisoned there.
1:24.0	At least half the prisoners were black or Hispanic,
1:27.0	but nearly all the guards were white.
1:29.0	And as well as harsh living conditions,
1:31.0	prisoners complained of bullying.
1:33.5	It was a lot of racism.
1:35.8	The guards were racially abusive to everybody.
	...

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