The Attica Prison riot occurred at the state prison in Attica, New York, as a revolt driven by prisoners' demands for better living conditions and political rights. The approximately 2,200 men incarcerated at the Attica Correctional Facility sought to protest their treatment, which they characterized as being treated as beasts. The riot began on September 9, 1971, when 1,281 prisoners violently took control of the prison's control center and took 42 staff members hostage. The prisoners presented 28 demands to authorities, seeking significant reforms in their conditions and treatment.
During the four days of negotiations that followed the initial takeover, state authorities agreed to the majority of the prisoners' 28 demands. However, two key demands remained unresolved: the removal of Attica's warden and complete amnesty from criminal prosecution for those involved in the prison takeover. These disagreements set the stage for the final confrontation between authorities and the prisoners who had seized control of the facility.
The riot ended on September 13, 1971, when state forces retook control of the prison. The outcome was catastrophic, resulting in the highest number of fatalities in the history of United States prison riots. A total of 43 men died, consisting of 33 inmates and 10 correctional officers and employees. Of these deaths, all but one guard and three inmates were killed by law enforcement gunfire during the state's retaking of the prison. The Attica riot has been recognized as a historic event in the prisoners' rights movement, marking a significant moment in the struggle for prison reform and inmate advocacy.
43 total deaths: 33 inmates and 10 correctional officers and employees; all but one guard and three inmates were killed by law enforcement gunfire
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