How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed?

Users Online Now: 2,002 (Who's On?)		Visitors Today: 1,568,145
Pageviews Today: 2,160,183	Threads Today: 522	Posts Today: 9,635
04:53 PM

Page 1 Bottom Search Replies Previous Page Next Page
Search Terms: Highlight Matches
How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed?
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1203596 Canada 12/22/2010 11:14 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? [link to www.southernstudies.org] In September of 1971, more than a thousand prisoners at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, NY revolted in what eventually became one of the most famous prison standoffs in American history. Before the insurrection was bloodily quelled on orders of then New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the prisoners demanded an improvement to the conditions that they were forced to live. In the midst of the Black Power Movement, Attica became a lasting symbol for demands for human and civil rights, even among the incarcerated. In the spirit of Attica, nearly 40 years later, prisoners at six prisons in Georgia organized a non-violent labor strike to demand better conditions for themselves. Specifically the inmates demanded a living wage for their work, educational opportunities, decent health care, an end to cruel and unusual punishment, decent living conditions, nutritional meals, opportunities for self-improvement (rehabilitation), access to their families and just parole decisions. Perhaps even more remarkable than the strike, in which inmates shared information via text messaging on phones bought from prison guards, is that the strike went virtually unnoticed by mainstream American media. That so many chose to ignore what has been called the largest strike of its nature in American history, speak volumes to how Americans continue to think of the American Prison System or what scholars and activists have more commonly referred to as the "Prison Industrial Complex." The inmates themselves have another word for their reality: "Slavery." Prisons are big business in the U.S., which has the largest prison population in the world, as Boyce Watkins recently noted. Mirroring the convict leasing programs of the late 19th and early 20th century, where prisoners were leased as laborers to third parties, the Prison Industrial Complex is simple a new term for old practices. Even when states outlawed convict leasing, some states built prisons with the idea of generating income from within. The infamous Mississippi State Prison, also known as Parchman Farm -- referenced throughout August Wilson's The Piano Lesson -- is but one example of this phenomenon. Currently American prisoners are used as laborers to do jobs ranging from cleaning highways, to making furniture for federal agencies, moving library books at state universities to any number of jobs that generate profits for other institutions, while paying the inmates on average 40 cents a day, if they are paid at all. Even better than hiring temporary employees, the Prison Industrial Complex allows companies the opportunity to "hire" workers on the lowest end of the wage scale, without having to worry about health insurance, sick-days or vacation time.

Pilot_007 User ID: 1018205 United States 12/22/2010 11:15 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? Only by you, I guess
Anonymous Coward User ID: 1011642 United States 12/22/2010 11:28 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? LOL In NY we all know about that, unless they are 14.
Anonymous Coward User ID: 79033755 Romania 01/27/2022 07:12 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? [link to www.southernstudies.org] In September of 1971, more than a thousand prisoners at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, NY revolted in what eventually became one of the most famous prison standoffs in American history. Before the insurrection was bloodily quelled on orders of then New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the prisoners demanded an improvement to the conditions that they were forced to live. In the midst of the Black Power Movement, Attica became a lasting symbol for demands for human and civil rights, even among the incarcerated. In the spirit of Attica, nearly 40 years later, prisoners at six prisons in Georgia organized a non-violent labor strike to demand better conditions for themselves. Specifically the inmates demanded a living wage for their work, educational opportunities, decent health care, an end to cruel and unusual punishment, decent living conditions, nutritional meals, opportunities for self-improvement (rehabilitation), access to their families and just parole decisions. Perhaps even more remarkable than the strike, in which inmates shared information via text messaging on phones bought from prison guards, is that the strike went virtually unnoticed by mainstream American media. That so many chose to ignore what has been called the largest strike of its nature in American history, speak volumes to how Americans continue to think of the American Prison System or what scholars and activists have more commonly referred to as the "Prison Industrial Complex." The inmates themselves have another word for their reality: "Slavery." Prisons are big business in the U.S., which has the largest prison population in the world, as Boyce Watkins recently noted. Mirroring the convict leasing programs of the late 19th and early 20th century, where prisoners were leased as laborers to third parties, the Prison Industrial Complex is simple a new term for old practices. Even when states outlawed convict leasing, some states built prisons with the idea of generating income from within. The infamous Mississippi State Prison, also known as Parchman Farm -- referenced throughout August Wilson's The Piano Lesson -- is but one example of this phenomenon. Currently American prisoners are used as laborers to do jobs ranging from cleaning highways, to making furniture for federal agencies, moving library books at state universities to any number of jobs that generate profits for other institutions, while paying the inmates on average 40 cents a day, if they are paid at all. Even better than hiring temporary employees, the Prison Industrial Complex allows companies the opportunity to "hire" workers on the lowest end of the wage scale, without having to worry about health insurance, sick-days or vacation time. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1203596 Just watched the doumentary "Attica" 2 days ago. I am not sure they were killed on actual orders of governor Rockafeller, but talks had been going on between the inmates and a number of outside people who acted as voluntary observers within the prison facility during the uprising. It was understood if the talks did not result in the hoped for improvements, then the next step would be the forceful attack of the prison facility by a contingent of armed military, national guards and local police and would result in many deaths. As a last result, they asked governor Rockefeller to visit the prison and talk to the inmates himself. On TV, he was eeen to say "if we give them this, then the next thing they will want is talking to the president himself", and he refused; while it was understood if the did not go talk with them, many would be killed. So this is what happened, and about 10 of the civil witnesses were also killed by the bullets of the army and law enforcement people. After the prison was taken by lawful forces again, the inmates were subjected to brutal treatment and even torture. Some of the interviewed in the documentary were amongst those inmates at the time.
SativaSyborg User ID: 80867894 United States 01/27/2022 07:17 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? lol, there's bloodier ones that got no coverage.. read up on some of the Texas prison riots... Allred unit, Beto unit.. Texas is really good about making sure the person technically "dies" on the way to the hospital (off unit) so it doesn't count as a prison death. SativaSyborg
Anonymous Coward User ID: 73601226 United States 01/27/2022 07:21 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? Simple, corrupt media doesn’t report. And few care about the plight of convicts
Anonymous Coward User ID: 79033755 Romania 01/27/2022 09:30 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed? lol, there's bloodier ones that got no coverage.. read up on some of the Texas prison riots... Allred unit, Beto unit.. Texas is really good about making sure the person technically "dies" on the way to the hospital (off unit) so it doesn't count as a prison death. Quoting: SativaSyborg You mean - MURDERING people on their way to hospital?
Anonymous Coward User ID: 79735663 Romania 01/27/2022 04:19 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed?
Anonymous Coward User ID: 77371465 Germany 02/01/2022 10:29 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation	Re: How does the biggest prison strike in American history go unnoticed?
Page 1 Top Previous Page Next Page

Related Threads

GLP