Collection inventory

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Attica Prison Uprising Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Finding aid created by: RMH
Date: 5 Oct 2023

Revision history:

Biographical History

The Attica Prison Uprising, which took place from Sep 9-Sep 13, 1971, occurred when nearly 1,300 of the 2,000 people incarcerated there rose up against corrections officers in protest of unhealthy, unsafe, and exploitative living and working conditions and occupied the D-Block of the prison. Governor Rockefeller refused to negotiate. Though political pressure forced the state to appoint a committee to engage in talks with the prisoners, the governor ultimately ordered the retaking of the prison on the morning of Sep 13, 1971. State troopers entered the prison in a fog of smoke grenades and tear gas, accompanied by off-duty corrections officers and police carrying personal weapons. Of the 43 men who died during the retaking, the historical record now confirms that at least 39 were killed by the state troopers, yet the number may be higher.

One of the imprisoned persons killed during the uprising was Sam Melville (1934-1971). Melville was associated with the Weather Underground and the Black Panther Party and was romantically involved with new left radical Jan Alpert. In November 1969 he was arrested for a series of bombings against property in New York City, attacking institutions of government and the capital including the criminal courts, Chase Manhattan Bank, United Fruit Company, and Standard Oil. After pleading guilty, Melville was transferred to Attica. There, he began an underground prison publication, Iced Pig, and began to organize imprisoned people to fight for better conditions. He also researched the economics of prison jobs and wrote an essay criticizing prison labor, "Anatomy of the Laundry," which was widely read by people in prison though no known copies of either remain extant. A known radical and leader of the Attica Prison Uprising, Melville was dead by the end of the day on Sep 13, 1971, though numerous witnesses reported seeing him alive after the retaking of the prison, suggesting that his murder may have been a targeted reprisal after the initial violence.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Attica Prison Uprising Collection consists of material reflecting the official (i.e., state and correctional officers) point of view, the prisoners' and their supporters' point of view, photographs, and miscellaneous.

The official state's and correctional officers' point of view includes fact sheets, a flyer, newsletters, newspapers and clippings, and radio transcripts recounting the uprising and its aftermath through statements from the commissioner Russell G. Oswald, the correctional officers involved in the retaking and aftermath of the uprising, and the families of officers killed during the uprising. The radio transcript condemns and vilifies the imprisoned people for their actions and praising the efforts of the on and off duty police officers who retook the prison.

The prisoners' and supporters' point of view contains booklets, flyers, newsletters, and newspapers before and after the uprising, giving a voice to the imprisoned people of Attica Prison. One of the flyers is a protest flyer for Sam Melville’s detainment during his time in jail before his transfer to Attica Prison. The newsletters consist of two special newsletters from the Prisoners Solidarity Committee on Attica and three issues of Midnight Special: Prisoners News published by the National Lawyers Guild (N. Y. chapter) and the Prison Justice Committee. These newsletters give voice to the imprisoned people in the Attica Prison after the uprising.

Photographs document the imprisoned people and the prison conditions during the uprising and its aftermath. The 9 press photos were taken by Cornell Capa and record life during the rebellion, the destructive aftermath of the retaking, and life after the rebellion with one photo from the uprising at the Queens House of Detention the year prior, which many credit as a precursor to Attica. In the aftermath images there are many naked bodies and some deceased individuals.

Miscellaneous consists of a set of 1935 correspondences from the Sullivan County sheriff to the Attica prison warden on the incarcerated people's-produced cell table and seat set with accompanying blue prints, a flying asking questions about the uprising with prisoners' supporters and state officials answering them, and the whistle and name tag of Attica Correctional Officer Duane Hartman.

Arrangement of the Collection

This collection is separated in the official state and correctional officers' point of view and the prisoners' and their supporters' point of view. After these two series are photographs and miscellaneous series. Within each series, items are arranged alphabetically according to type.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Book A Bill of No Rights by Herman Badillo and Milton Haynes was transferred to Rare Books for cataloging.

See also the Auburn Prison Riots Collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Kunstler, William M. (William Moses), 1919-1995.
Melville, Samuel, 1935-1971.
Oswald, Russell G.
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979.
Seale, Bobby, 1936-

Corporate Bodies

Attica Correctional Facility.
Attica Prison.

Subjects

Black Panther Party.
Convict labor.
Correctional personnel -- Violence against.
Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- United States.
Imprisonment.
Labor -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century.
Mass incarceration.
Prison reform.
Prison riots -- New York (State) -- Attica.
Prison violence.
Prisoners -- Personal narratives.
Prisoners Solidarity Committee.
Prisoners.
Prisons -- Officials and employees.
Prisons in mass media.

Places

Attica (N.Y.)

Genres and Forms

Newsletters.
Newspapers.
Photographs.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Attica Prison Uprising Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased, 2023

Table of Contents

Official state's and correctional officers' point of view

Prisoners' and supporters' point of view

Photographs

Miscellaneous

Inventory