What was the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot of 1980?
What was the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot of 1980?
The New Mexico State Penitentiary riot, which took place on February 2 and 3, 1980, in the state’s maximum security prison south of Santa Fe, was the most violent prison riot in American history.
What major events happened in February 1980?
The following events happened in February 1980 : The U.S. Department of Energy released its emergency plans for gasoline rationing in the event of a fuel shortage during the summer.
What was the cause of the prison riot of 1984?
Prison overcrowding and inferior prison services, common problems in many correctional facilities, were major causes of the disturbance. On the night of the riot, there were 1,156 inmates in a prison that had beds for less than 963.
How many people were in the penitentiary the night the riot started?
The state penitentiary, constructed in 1956 but in a state of neglect by the early ’80s, had a capacity of about 900. On the night the riot started, it was teeming with 1,157 men. “ ‘Governor, we’ve lost contact with the penitentiary,’ ” he told me.
How were the Attica and New Mexico prison riots organized?
The Attica prison riot was organized with solidarity among prisoners, demonstrated by their lack of interest in attacking one another, whereas the “snitch system” in the New Mexico Penitentiary pitted inmate against inmate, resulting in the distrust among inmates unless identified with a group.
How many beds were available at New Mexico State Penitentiary?
New Mexico State Penitentiary riot. Therefore the official number of beds available on the night of the riot was actually 974, but even that number is hardly fair since it includes the 11 solitary confinement cells in the basement of Cell block 3. The official population of the prison the night of the riot was determined to be 1,156.
Is New Mexico’s old main prison haunted?
Parts of Old Main today are used to store movie props, and the rest of the buildings have been used in films, but mostly they remain empty. These buildings are considered to be New Mexico’s most haunted. In 2013, historical tours of the old prison started to be offered to the public once a month.
