1971: Four Days of Rebellion: the Attica Prison Riot Leaves 39 Dead
On September 9, 1971, inmates at Attica Correctional Facility in New York seized control of the prison, taking dozens of guards and staff hostage in protest over brutal conditions, overcrowding, and demands for basic political and civil rights. For four days the prisoners held the yard, negotiating with officials and issuing a list of demands broadcast to the watching public.
On September 13, on the order of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, state troopers and police stormed the facility, opening fire on inmates and hostages alike. By the time the smoke cleared, 39 people were dead, including ten hostages, most killed not by prisoners but by the retaking force’s own gunfire.
The riot remains one of the deadliest prison uprisings in American history and exposed the brutal conditions inside Attica, triggering decades of lawsuits, investigations, and a landmark settlement for survivors and victims’ families.
