On the eve of what would become the US’s�most famous prison uprising, the inmates of Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York endured�deplorable�conditions. Their infections went untreated, their teeth fell out due to negligible dental care — they even lacked adequate access to soap and toilet paper.

On September 9, 1971, these pent-up�grievances simmered over when roughly�1,300 inmates took over the prison. For four days they were effectively in charge. They made demands on�the state (better medical care, fewer limits on their�freedom of expression, immunity from prosecution for rebelling), negotiated with mediators brought in at their behest (including, briefly, Black Panther leader Bobby Seale), and generally asserted their worth as�human beings.

But whatever the prisoners�gained in those few days was quickly pulverized�by the brute force of the state. Seeking dignity, they instead unleashed the wrath of New York governor Nelson Rockefeller.