descent into madness:
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Descent into Madness:. The New Mexico State Prison Riot Mark Colvin. Most horrific prison riot in history. 36 hours 33 inmates killed by other inmates 200 inmates severely injured – beating, stabbing, rape OD’s from drugs from the pharmacy. 12 corrections officers taken hostage. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Descent into Madness:
The New Mexico State Prison RiotMark Colvin
Most horrific prison riot in history36 hours33 inmates killed by other inmates200 inmates severely injured – beating,
stabbing, rapeOD’s from drugs from the pharmacy
12 corrections officers taken hostageNone killedSeven beaten, stabbed, sodomizedSome guards protected by inmatesSome helped to escape riots by inmates
Prisoners risked their own livesTo keep others from harm
20 million dollars damage
200 million in response costs and aftermath
Methodology
300 in-depth interviewsPrisonersGuardsOfficials
History of the prison is important to understand what happenedNot always violent and disorderlyBig change in three to four years prior to riot
Background
At Attica,
A few hours of rioting turned into organized protest of prison conditions
No more deaths until authorities retook prison
At New Mexico riot,
Huge disorganizationMany inmate on inmate killingsExceptionally brutal
1976
Reduction of privileges and programs leads to Peaceful, organized protestResponse – new era – more coercion and
violence
Strike broken with violence
TeargasGauntlet – axe handlesLeaders identified, transferred out of stateInmate leadership – provided social cohesion –
now gone“Hole” – solitary reopened and usedSegregation for discipline more common
Lots of turnover in state leadershipSimilarly, at local level,five wardens in five yearsAdministrative confusion – conflicting policiesClique of administrators running show, virtually
unaccountable to anyone
Growing inconsistencies in security and disciplineIn a prison, consistency and routine are hugely
importantNow, inmates can not calculate punishment for
different behaviorsSeen by inmates as harassmentPrison officers get caught up in “harassment
game” – prisoners go to hole
The “snitch game”
Privileges for telling on othersPunishment for not cooperating with guards“hang a snitch jacket” on someone –Guards threaten to tell other inmates that you
are a snitch, even if you aren’tCertain cellblock used for “protection”
History of little inmate to inmate violenceGives way to murder, and routine fights and
sexual assaults
Social order had been disturbedForces that held back disorder dissolvedInmate leadership removedSmall, self-protective cliques emergeNew inmates arrive into a volatile atmosphereViolence not imported from outside
New inmates face tough choicesSubmit to othersBecome a snitchFight other inmates – “don’t mess with them”
Submission
Labeled “morally weak”Won’t stand up for yourselfPC’d up -protective custody- also weakSnitch – weakest of the weak
Competition for violent reputationsLeads to increased violence – daily
occurrencesAnglo vs. Chicano fightsAnglo cliques emerge
All these forces
Lead to a fragmented prison societyWhich finally explodes in 1980
Overview of the riot
pp.201-207
Summary
Explosive episode had its roots going back much further
Lack of organization of the riot and inmate to inmate violence make it notable
Violence caused by a few cliquesCliques emerge due to organizational changes
and control policy changes