Original subtitles

[Music]

they'll say you're here now you're in

Attica we are the bosses you do what we

tell you we tell you to walk your walk

when we tell you to eat you wean we tell

you to sleep you sleep we tell you not

to talk we don't talk and then all the

goodness my human beans meanwhile the

other ones are living animals and it

frightens you in a capacity as boilers

like I'm a vegetable because you're not

able to think anymore

because you're told what to do and when

to do and how often to do it right yeah

I don't think that any sane person can

tolerate I don't care who you are you're

looking for humane treatment that's all

you may entreat me we are given a bed

once a week very briefly once a week

you see these things you're taking away

the bare necessities things that a man

needs to feel that is a human being

these are taken away you don't have them

I don't know I'm not trying to be bitter

you see dealing with these people trying

to be real but I don't know everything

they do everything they do is design to

destroy you

the human hours you make you a complete

nothing so when I'm God come in here and

he tell me to do something now do it but

now at the same time if I feel that he's

wrong and I'm right it's nothing that

Deacon do to me and this includes having

that last shovel of dirt in my face they

did everything but that understand this

one change and this is what I think the

animals and enemies in it for some time

we've all been concerned about this

trouble that was brewing in the prison

it's you could feel in the air anybody

that works in a prison or institution

could feel things like that in the air

you know something is brewing we're all

apprehensive but you can't tell when

it's gonna happen every night we

expected it I don't think nobody would

intense or try to provoke an incident

because they know they rely

that they don't have a chance but at the

same time like you just can't keep

presenting that garbage and accept

somebody to take it

let's be able to slide in the yard you

know because basically we realize you

know that all we had was each other you

know so he clung to each other

spite of all our different ideologies

and there were thousand ideologies you

know they would do that but in common

Julie if it was just boss all of us

together

you understand all of us eating together

you know like having to suffer together

it was four days love bathing you had to

smell each other four days of going

hungry sharing what you had amongst each

other it was really groovy right you

know groovy in the sense that you know

what it is to have unity you did it was

really a united thing today it was a

thing where you know when we gonna do

this you know it was nice me that me my

hair with this aluminum but as to the

thing as the whole we're all together

then there was no really racial tension

and everybody was looking out for each

other sharing food and sharing

cigarettes and putting up things to

sleep in and mattresses you know the

whole organization and it was fantastic

the way everybody worked together you

know it's really beautiful

[Music]

I want you brothers to get together

because we together here and we these

people think we shuckin and jivin but we

is for real things were bad that home

I've never seen anything like this the

people in here are treated like dogs not

only the black and the porter and the

white and we're going to get what we

planned are we gonna die try support us

all the way we're doing this for

everybody we no longer wish to be

treated as statistics we want to be

treated as we would be we are men and we

are not beasts and we do not intend to

be driven or beaten as such the entire

prison populace has set forth to change

forever

the ruthless brutalization and disregard

for the lives of the prisoners here and

throughout the United States what has

happened here is but the sound before

the fury of those who are oppressed my

name is Arthur a New York State

Assemblyman I went to Attica when

hearing the inmates there had captured a

portion of the prison it was very

interesting to see how the minute that

yard had set up a city within the

confines of Attica state prison

they had set up a very elaborate PA

system so that all the conversation

between them and us was heard by all of

the inmates in the yard and no decisions

no decisions were made unless all of the

inmates agreed we want to apply the New

York state minimum wage law to all state

institutions we want to stop to slave

labor here we want to allow our New York

state prisoners to be politically active

without intimidation or reprisals we

want true religious sanctity we want to

do our own thing in this place number

four in our censorship of newspapers

magazines letters and other publications

coming from the publisher five allow all

inmates at their own expense to

communicate with anyone they please they

were asking for better educational

program but a training program drug

treatment program library they were

asking for better food but a medical

care they were asking for more than 25

cents a day in salary well out and now I

was in there early I was one of the pool

reporters who went in there and some of

the demands that they made were getting

out of the country etc how would you

characterize these are these realistic

demands they have a list of what they

call practical demands which are 15

demands just about every one of them

have to do with the improvement of

prison conditions this is not a riot of

business or seeking to escape it is a

riot of business who are eminently

practical and who are spelling out

conditions which they feel should be

improved and many of those conditions

are requirements which are now in the

existing law

the incident did not happen because you

know the inmates are trying to stage

dramatics they know the incidents arose

because of some you know legitimate

shall we say grievance that they had and

I think that how much headway you know

that comes with that will be just towel

you know honest and frank you know the

authorities we face up to the situation

they have

we are not advocating violence we are

advocating communication and

understanding

[Music]

right hood first second and third

powering longer the New York State

Police deployed to Attica 30

high-powered rifles and 232 riot guns

the state police riot gun is a 12-gauge

shotgun with a 20-inch barrel and a full

choke

[Music]

there were also members of the State

Park Police present as well as members

from 11 sheriff's departments there were

also weapons from the Arsenal's of the

Attica prison itself and weapons brought

from Auburn but corrections officers who

came from Auburn these weapons included

22 high-powered Winchester rifles at

least a dozen 32 caliber pistols and two

weapons that are capable of automatic

fire the colt model ar-15 and the

Thompson submachine gun the decision

that had to be made quickly when I

arrived was would I talk with them or

was there sufficient support to move in

and retake the institution now the

tradition in this area is not to

negotiate I correct that's right and you

made a decision that you would not only

negotiate but that you would actually go

into the stronghold of the inmates and

negotiate there yes I got a feeling that

there might very well be enough people

in that yard who would believe in me

that we might be able to do some

meaningful negotiating he started out

being sincere you know all of a sudden

you deviate he came at a brand new bag

you know and I figured like I said that

uh dumb ball I Manku see people like

this here you know rather folks put

pressure on her you know that he start

playing a word game I myself as an

individual had a lot of respectful özil

especially for the fact that a man of

his position you know

come into the artful of a rebellious

inmates that takes a lot of guts and I

admire him for that but he threw that

down the drain because uh he came in and

told him made something you know one

thing in uh he wasn't aware of the fact

that we had television sets and radios

and we were watching what was going on

outside that gate and as soon as he

walked out of the yard and walk out the

front gate there was a noose meant to

that interview I'm there and yes mr.

Oswald what do the inmates wanted

everything he changed it all around he

says oh they want the world you know he

it was very negative and naturally in

Mason want him anymore they can't uh a

figure dating they can trust him he was

a man of his word they trust him the

first day you know but everybody does

change up in his manner

mr. wicker how did you happen to go to

Attica during September my name had been

included on a list of names that

prisoners who were then in revolted

Attica had asked to come to come and

observe the proceedings there and when

did you arrive at the Attica prison or

late in the afternoon of Friday

September the 10th I would suppose

retrospect was about 4:30 in the

afternoon well dad my further testimony

to the unity that shown in the yard to

the unanimous testimony of these men

that they regard themselves as being

aggrieved by the treatment that they say

that they have received in the prison in

past years and they appear to be

unwilling to give up the hostages give

up their situation in the present or

anything short of a I have a complete

amnesty now you had a situation in which

the state was saying no amnesty and the

inmate said that they wanted total

amnesty what did you do about trying to

prevent this confrontation that was

looming up vice by midday sunday I think

what most of us felt was that the attack

was quite imminent and it was coming

because we had this deadlock we weren't

able to work anything on the amnesty and

so forth it's about the only thing we

could do we thought was to try to

maintain the status quo by time stall

off the attack and hope that somewhere

along the line either the prisoners or

the state would yield in such a way that

our that enough that an agreement might

yet be worked out in other words if we

could just we felt that the hostages

were not going to be harmed you know

many people that they wanted to take out

their old criticism the hostages which

is understandable

there were many hostages there that I

had had previous grievances with but

these things became obsolete my mind at

that stage does something much higher

know that stable the hostages are by

their own testimony are sleeping on

mattresses and the prisoners in most

cases are on the ground

hostages are getting what food there is

hostages getting medical care treatment

they all requested strongly that as much

consideration as possible be given to

granting full amnesty to the prisoners

treat it all right yes I have so far but

Rivera no no complaints but no problems

so far so far been treated very good the

inmates here the human beings here have

gone out of their way to see that we get

what medical attention they can provide

for us they've seen that the serious

injuries have been taken care of in the

hospital

they've taken care of our food needs and

they've gone to the all extremes of the

farthest extremes that they could to see

that we were kept comfortable did you

say that so the emphasis was much more

nearly on preventing the attack by

Sunday than it was on literally working

out an agreement and is it fair to say

that the emphasis was not on leaning on

the inmates to accept what had been

offered but more on trying to get the

governor

somebody else to give you the time

that's right because the inmates had no

power to carry out an attack

you didn't make a telephone call to the

governor that day Mike bread yes we've

got on the telephone at at Tarrytown I

spoke to him first I described a

situation to him as best I as best I

could and our apprehensions that the

attack was going to be made and made

very shortly and I hoped that that would

that that he would prevent that and that

he would then come to Attica as at the

invitation of the observers group we

made it very clear to him that we were

not suggesting that he come up there

pursuant to any demand by the prisoners

nor were we demanding that he come up

and talk to the prisoners nor meet with

the prisoners anyway we were we were

suggesting that he come to Attica at our

suggestion to meet with us now we felt

and this was the agreement of all in the

committee it was my feeling was Senator

Dunn's feeling was thumb whicker's

feelings as well as Mr Kenyatta the

young Lords in the whole group from all

the way from the extreme left to the

right we all felt that it was important

for governor Rockefeller to be there it

would seem that it might be appropriate

for someone as warm and understanding as

governor Rockefeller to walk that last

mile and , it would be a he would be a

suggestion to the to the prisoners

themselves a at least a symbolic gesture

to them that the governor was concerned

over what was happening that he had some

concern for their welfare and their fate

their safety as well as that those are

the hostages and that that his actual

physical presence at Attica would would

signify that the prison that was the

first thing that I thought would

happened and secondly that if he would

prevent the attack and come up to Attica

and take personal charge that way we

could then just maintain the status quo

for one to three days who knew how long

at the end of those

at the end of that time or at some point

while the question of amnesty and other

points might not have been negotiable on

Sunday it might have been negotiable by

Wednesday it might all kinds of

developments might have taken place it

would have made a settlement possible

now it is not true that we felt that the

negotiations were fruitless and we're

coming to an end it just isn't true no

matter what some of the committee

members may say now at that point that

was not the case every single one of the

members of The Observer Committee at

that point felt that there was value in

additional negotiations there's no

evidence in these negotiations but there

was a real desire to settle because all

of these 28 offers had been made and the

position had hardened not softened so I

then said no I would not come I didn't

think a useful purpose would be served

we called then Commissioner Oswald and

we all pleaded with him to give us an

additional day we asked him to give us

through yesterday and midnight he turned

that down too I also thought that we had

a chance to hold it off and if we still

had their confidence that's why we spent

five hours more or less from the time we

got out after supper on Sunday night

with Oswald till about midnight because

I really believed in one sense that they

wouldn't sacrifice the hostages

I just hope with the commissioner and

the other people in the committee that

they've gathered together

you know come up with a solution to

solve these people's problems all right

thank you very much

[Music]

[Music]

I had of course asked to get out on

television and and perhaps talk so I

talked about the good treatment that we

had got in the medical help and the care

and then of course we hadn't been harmed

up until then and they said then at that

time do you want to talk to Governor

Rockefeller I said I'd be very happy to

and I don't just remember all my

speeches was off-the-cuff

she said well governor we are here in

the yard with quite a group of people

and everything that you can do I am

highly in support of we lived for four

days under the same conditions they are

living in and we are 38 men who

understand exactly what they are trying

to get for themselves now it would seem

a shame to waste a group of educated

people like this then there was applause

so here we are and we are waiting for

your reply that sound familiar that's

just about it as I remember it but one

thing I especially remember the inmates

all clapped and shouted after so I think

they were thinking along the same lines

I I was thinking which was what which

was that the waste of people out there I

mean here was 38 of us and and perhaps

we were going to die

now well what's more important the lives

of these people are the retaking of this

institution this institution is not

important its lives are interested in

and what's more important let the people

in the world let us know what you feel

about this we want to hear from you you

want to meet force with force there have

been some of the prison personnel

severely injured here this morning and

we certainly don't want to see any right

people hurt

to delay the action any longer would not

only jeopardize innocent lives but would

threaten the security of the entire

correctional system of this state and

rebellion of the type we have faced

threatens the destruction of our free

society we cannot forget that

destruction half at that point the

decision was made there was no

alternative but to go in I supported

that decision and as chief executive

officer I'm responsible what happened

[Applause]

you could smell the blood and hear all

the people screaming and like at first

they thought they were shooting rubber

bullets and all these people started

getting up and you see them getting

blown apart a helicopter flew of and

they told everybody whispering guys put

their hands on her head no honey it is

the second time they just opened up

shooting I got my leg we shall arrive

the state truth world walks over to me a

sister you won't rubella no more well

you didn't hit me in the leg with the

gun but the one who was shot off

so the guy says well let's kill him so

the other guy says oh no we're not gonna

kill him he's gonna breathe to death the

guys I got the shot in the head

some guys got the pieces of the head

shot off in the chest you know on the

whole man this guy just laying all over

there just like a battlefield guys were

just laying all over man they were black

though there was shadow all up man you

know it was trying to give up there some

of them and they were just shot down

just like that

I seen a bunch people that's supposed to

be human beings just shoot like wild

animals in a jungle

cold-blooded serve random with his hand

on his head but he still be exposed to

being killed chyre guy how loud you know

like please don't kill me don't kill me

don't kill me and the guy told me this

shit up so he said don't kill me make

he'll repeat least and I said shit fuck

up so the guy kept saying it and then I

heard a shot rang out

this guy no no no cheese in my heart my

heart bleeds for those brothers man you

know I've seen it man I've been to the

fire I've seen it

our objective was to reach them as

rapidly as possible and protect them

well was there anything in your plan

that would have protected the hostages

in the circle yard which is where they

were on Sunday if the inmates there were

determined to cut their throats in the

event of we didn't Rachel in time well

you you couldn't have reached their

settings that it would take to slit a

throat well that's what I'm getting at

in other words I just want to clarify

your question sure are you asking were

there any plans to do anything about the

hostages if we were not able to affect

our mission and what I'm asking really

is whether there was any way that your

plan could have saved lives of the

hostages if the inmates were determined

to cut their throats oh I doubt it thank

God stated that about stated that the

reason that Oswald gave all of the

communists shooting and killing people

was because he personally saw an office

to have mr. cutter he says he watched

his office - I was told cut he said he

was really really terrified by this you

know and he said he also saw in the

process an officer being emasculated

this what was the incentive for coming

in and killing everybody now days before

the assault and during the day of the

assault

we as responsible newsmen depended on

the word of the Commissioner of the

State Department of Corrections he came

out here repeatedly at the height of the

most dramatic moment that has ever have

in the state of New York and repeatedly

gave us what we were led to understand

was factual information information we

now question front to back while we ask

him to give us the courtesy of

responding to those those questions give

us some answers short of that he's

frightened and scared what information

did he give you that was inaccurate he

told us about and I want to especially

criticize the news media which accepted

as true without any

vation without using the word alleged

the statements of the prison authorities

and the government that the men the

hostages had had their throat cuts that

one had been emasculated and that two

had been killed long before the

onslaught by the state troopers you did

everyone at the service in accepting

that fact you did everyone at the

service and might have caused additional

tragedy in reporting as fact but now has

proved to be lies and I think in the

future you should judge your own

consciences in how you report statements

of public officials without any

opportunity of the outside world to

verify them the person was eager to get

out a story more you got started to

investigate the story they were getting

out they want to think well we'll skip

the scoop and we'll get it to the

readings quick but they wasn't concerned

with ours and this is the only well what

hostages was killed by still being cut

name one

none all of them was killed by bullets

gun wounds shotgun m16 and whatnot so

now after he recognized us that day

bullets had killed the people now what

they gonna do they're gonna do people

and tell the people that his throat was

cut that's the reason they told the lies

dad to justify a wrongdoing suffered

seven out of nine Ida sorry I think if

you could back over your tape you'll

find out I said several I've been I

understand the Saudis that were none the

forensic pathologist who did the

examination

reported what the cause of death and

each instance was gunshot wound even

after the father was no they didn't put

in their papers that okay they would

fire we were wrong didn't do it I just

didn't speak about at all like okay so

we man well however if it was proven and

it has been food and they were wrong it

should be pretty uh an apology

you know today really they told him a

lot you know no I will go one step

further she's pretty apology does okay

how can you partner to dead man

[Music]

[Music]

and we commit his body to the ground

earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to

dust you want a fuller and taking your

father's twice what do you think would

be the situation today well I think that

most likely my father if he live right

now on that was more or less the big

wheels for son giving a statement trip I

started uh attack him did you have any

communication with the governor prior to

September 13

prior to yes no sir and I would you ask

prior to did you have a communication

afterward yes sir what was that

communication telephone and what was the

nature of the conversation he spoke to

me you know he spoke to you he spoke to

you and thank you yes him I uh I am a

and if they would have come down you

know uh nine sticks and so forth they

would have taken over the prison

retaking the prison but I never expected

time to start something like that and

then they had a PA system saying uh

place your hands on your head just to

run certain eras officer and you won't

be harmed they kept shooting people when

I said that I said they shot people

right there's a slaughter like man

people were defenseless are they they

had sticks their homemade weapons to

defend themselves but this doesn't

compare in the hammock with magnums and

carbines well this is ridiculous

they call it indiscriminate firing I

call it plain how right premeditated

murder C block looking at an a tale of

two seventy marksman with instructions

to clear the catwalk upon command

I play kilo 6 6 which would be arming

the weapon so to speak one round in the

chamber

fire the weapon to be brought up sighted

through wheel of the round

mr. and would that be approximately the

speed at which aid and I qualified 270

man can fire mr. little

well you qualified as a 270 man that was

depending on what you'd be shooting at a

stationary or moving target and whether

you were resting or whether you were

firing off people but that's the speed

and I would probably fire the weapon if

I were hunting what was the position in

which people were firing this are they

kneeling yes they were kneeling over a

parapet in this fashion looking down

into the yard I was laying perfectly

still more or less like playing possum

and these uh bullets looks kept

exploding right near my head but I

didn't dare move and I notice every time

one would hit the ground in front of me

with mushrooms so I knew there was

shooting these hollow nose bullets and I

didn't know at the time what caliber

winding but I know it's uh it was what

people most uh was probably known as

dum-dums well I was hitting my left side

what they called um don't yeah when I

pass down the cell you know from loss of

blood internal bleeding no they took all

kind of x-rays and said they couldn't

remove the bullet you know it was too

close to vital spots and you know due to

the type of bullet no guess you know you

know I'm constantly in pain I guess

after living with my life you know it's

what they tell me you know as you can

see the projectile that leaves the

weapon upon impact begins to and it is

designed to expand inside the body of

the game animal the target animal

pursuant to the Geneva conferences

and respective of the sentiments

expressed therein to prevent in so far

as possible and war unnecessary human

suffering the United States military

personnel are prohibited from use of

this kind of left ammunition in combat

and after we were taking a block there

we were there for our guys but we were

required to run the gauntlet you know

they got officers on both sides you know

and we required to run that way ahead

the bells and the buckles and everything

out there was like lamina you know a lot

of guys got broken limbs and on the

counter there I saw lines of uniform

correction officers on either side of

the Carter swinging their clubs and

striking the males who were running

through there so I was in I was in

charge of dog litter team so I just

picked the first door as we got into the

reception center and as I walked in I

got the door

a quarter of away or halfway open and I

saw correction officers bending over

beating on somebody that was on the

floor and he told me to shut the door

that I wasn't allowed into that room did

you receive any reports that day of any

acts of mistreatment of inmates no sir I

did not

but basically they were in the position

of having surrendered hands on head were

coming down and were very forceful be

forcefully being forced down the steps

were forced to lie down and low crawl

across there

apparently the method employed to get

them to lie down was to hit them with a

club across the knees or in several

instances not to disguised attempts to

hit them on the genitalia was made

injury was done to prisoners at that

point by the violence with which they

were forced to lie on the ground and

crawl across the most frightening part

about the whole

thing was when they moved everybody into

a block yard like and had us on our

faces laying down in it like I was

trying to look up and look around at

what they were doing a policeman came

over and he put the shotgun bird all

right against my head and told me to

bury my nose in the mud and he kept the

gun barrel against my head for about a

good five minutes just stood right there

with the gun barrel pressed into my

skull you know I was I was crying then

because I was really afraid that they

were gonna pull the dude was gonna pull

a trigger cuz I seen him shoot a couple

other people their head accumulated a

group of persons just at the door

leading from D to a these were people

who had not been there previously they

were ones who had bullet wounds or in

one instance a fractured leg this man I

saw get his fractured leg he was coming

down the steps and was hit across his

tibial area which is the forefront of

his leg whoo when you say you serve hit

hit by what kind of personnel they were

primarily the prison guards themselves

were they calling the names yes what was

saying I hesitate to use such language

and I think we've we've had this

animation as you can accompany there

were racial epithets the classic

anglo-saxon ISM of F uck was used in

multiple times the basic tenor of the

thing was you sons-of-bitches had your

week last week this week is going to be

our week I would comment on it is a

professional under a situation like that

it was most appropriate to have them on

the ground and crawling along it it had

is true that it had rained that night or

the day before and the ground and spots

were muddy that's part of that's the

situation at the time to strip them to

assure that there was no weapons on

their persons as appropriate or in their

clothing or that they had no injuries on

their body is appropriate to and I

say a routine and standard practice in

terms of situation like this they

stripped us of everything we wore they

took our watches and uh most ground on

into the ground the same thing with DI

glasses and the fourth teeth and

everything they took it away from us and

they run them into the ground

and I smash off my glass see my wishes

my wristwatch they did smashed him you

know strong stupid state troopers um

booth they smashed everything I was

taken out of the yard and I was putting

on a table noon laying on the table with

my head looking up at the catwalk being

spin on hot Cheryl's throwing on my body

cigarettes going on my testicles they

had a football on my throat I am looking

up at a shotgun and it's a fall from

under my chin I would be killed my body

at present have cigar burn cigarette

burns all over my testicles at times

bother me ma'am from cigarette butt

sticks rivals did you see any inmates

lying in that yard with shotgun shells

on them yes sir I did

now did you ask anybody for an

explanation of why they were being held

like that yes sir I was informed that

they were some of the identified

ringleaders and what I would describe as

the unusualness of the situation with

the shotgun shell on his restaurant is

as his knees were up like this lying on

his back so that he sure he didn't move

did you consider that to be an

appropriate way of restraining a person

the alternative I suppose would have

been to handcuff him I don't know that

they had them there it's unusual way I

believe a lot of inmates would kill

after the takeover proper there was a

lot of sporadic shooting late to the

night afterwards and a lot of inmates

will pull out of their cells at night

late at night and I'll draw your own

conclusions they come around waiting

looking for the guys you know you know

you Frank luck come on out you know he

said we got orders to remove you also

remove me where man you know man come on

so he's what other tooth state troopers

just walking with the gun like that so

then they took me to the d-block over

there waiting they did you said been dug

by some of the enemy it took me over by

the ditches and they asked me was I

going to beg for my life you understand

so I wish you to say something anything

good I lose that it is one shoot me he's

got him with a gun like this at 38

stumbles like this and another guy with

a rifle not issued it and I thought they

was gonna you know like kill me you know

so I didn't say anything so just shoot

second so got hauled off to the brick

and window correction officer I don't

forget his face as long as I live he

told him to bring him back you know he's

not the one bringing so he brought me

back you understand

cool let it premeditated murder this is

not a false I am telling you what I seen

with my own eyes i speaking of my dead

brother LT Buckley I know for a fact

that he was meditating I know this I saw

four men on the ground fully clothed

with their heads to the ground and I

told Bobby Garcia there's LD Berkeley

the young man from Rochester and I asked

whether or not they were dead and he

said no they were alive and I to the

best of my ability and I've stated this

in federal court recognized one of them

as being LD Bartley brother LD I know

them but they murdered

because I seen him when it was dead us

in a block with every other session else

you know I've seen him when I testified

to that effect too

and the thing about it after that

justified when I came down to see my

attorney right after that on the other

side down the hall little bit also

wanted me to write judge curtains and

told me that I made a mistake in my

testimony heavy guard to see this fella

this brother LG that they killed and I

immediately told him what - what - kids

you know and things they did and I did

say in my notes and I want to repeat it

here sir because it is my firm belief

from my knowledge of the plan and what I

could observe of it there was excellent

self discipline excellent self-control

excellent response to commands to my

knowledge and while we were all

concerned about the number of casualties

that would occur and while there were

some if if you look at it as I do and

try to report it to you that only and I

believe 24 initially died I'm going by

memory now and you know initially sir

there were some that wounded the died

later is the point I'm trying to make

but that's beside the point whether

there's you draw a distinction between

whether the wound is so mortal that you

die that well it's all right Alex ever

has in view of the the situation I'm

only trying to say the number of

casualties reflect to me quite honestly

that there was this excellent self

discipline and self control and good

plan but I would regard your position is

the state official as being one to Apolo

the law

these men were entitled whatever they

did to the process and they hadn't and I

would think that it is to me

inappropriate for you to come before us

and seek to justify that in where you

had mr. Carter I certainly respect your

right to an opinion and the like I can

only

respond by asking you to examine the

record of a young man that grew up in a

cosmopolitan neighborhood that was

student body president that played

football with every ethnic group that I

have been without prejudice that I was

commanded in California for developing a

a comprehensive program for the

recruitment and development of minority

groups in correctional work and I've

always struggled for fairness and

democracy and equal opportunity and I

stand on that record sir

well I stand on what I've said thank you

the only way that they think it's

possible to satisfy the people it's come

with a mast of indictments that way they

think that the people's is going on get

a mind awful what is really going on the

state has poured in hundreds of

thousands of dollars in fact governor

Rockefeller decided to divert all of the

resources of the newly created organized

crime task force this was a special

section of the Attorney General's Office

that had been just set up in 1971

supposedly to finally in a comprehensive

way attack organized crime in New York

State instead because of governor

Rockefellers need to vindicate what he

did at Attica he diverted that entire

task force under mr. Fisher to

investigate the Attica situation there

are no blacks on the grand jury there

are no young people on the grand jury

really you know young people vote now

like 18 I don't think there's anyone on

the grand jury 21 years old and the

income is very high it's like from

$10,000 on up some people hold business

you know like a bus service and that's

pretty big money so we don't have any

fears there really

it's all in me as father has been

indicted and it was down there murder 40

you know people in their yard even their

own employees they came in and they show

Lu the Kremlin's was we got brothers

going in the courtroom lay its on what

arms off and got bullets all in them

what did we do we want to stood up and

asked to be treated as a man they had to

bring him back but they learned it up

there and they had to have some reason

to tell the world why they murdered us

now the conditions that were in Attica

they created we think we be conditioned

you see we came there and were caught up

in them and we spoke against them and so

because of that they have these

indictments against up on the Attica

correctional facilities this is a I was

just handed up by one of our council

report that we received there that

indicates that 89% had adult criminal

records which indicates that the system

did nothing for them but whatever

happened during the process of their

incarceration they came out into the

street and went right back in the

penitentiary you know like it affects

everybody because if the penitentiary is

used to reform right a person goes to

jail if he's not reformed he's gonna rip

you off a man you know like assuming

that like I am an animal right when I go

in if I'm not dealt with when I come out

I'm gonna rip you off man so you're

gonna pay twice you gonna pay through

your taxes then you're gonna pay again

if I stick you up now you you've been a

yeah in the Kirk in the correction

institution system since 1937 have you

not yes sir would you say that

recidivism was on the rise during the

period of time that you've been familiar

with our correction institutions in the

state of New York I've seen statistics

to that effect may I submit to you mr.

Brasco this problem of Corrections is a

very complex problem oh I understand it

but I think that I can safely say

eighty-nine percent at Attica having

prior criminal records is a clear

indictment of our systems failure to

rehabilitate like it's a multi-million

dollar enterprise or industry and it's

the only industry that you know

functions of a failures thus most

standard most basic ways in in the metal

shell in article like 25 cent a day now

for what is produced and manufactured in

that metal shop you'd be surprised the

money that be made in Attica behind the

sweat behind this a slave label of the

man that's working in under five 110

degree in that metal shop they need a

man part to run this industry they need

here do your personal to run these

industries what what is rehabilitation I

don't think such a thing exists

the town of Attica thrives off of you

know the people inside the penitentiary

you see if it wasn't for you know the

institution the people would have no

jobs you have the mayor of the town

works inside the joint right you have uh

it's like we call near port is Imai

think was when you have you know your

brother your cousin your uncle everyone

works inside the judge on the day of the

riot there were 398 correctional

personnel assigned to Attica in talking

to them we found that their major

motivation and taking a job at the

Department of Corrections was not to do

correctional work but because it was a

good job

it's a secure job it has good pay for a

rural area it has retirement benefits

and at least in the past up until about

the middle 50s it paid a good deal more

than civilian employment in the area

then forming or then other state civil

service or law enforcement jobs there I

am dedicating myself to these people but

you spend your life working with them

yes sir

I'm proud of the work I do let me let me

tell them this this is what got us upset

this Department Department of Correction

seems to be going downhill it's

everything to make it easier for

these inmates and the easier you treat

these people the harder it is for us

which as you say you're trying to

rehabilitate that's right

do you know what their mentality is very

low like they have a few people you know

a few guards they try to relate but

there's like I said is this this little

inner circle as if you have a young

guard who might come in and he might try

to relate to oh you know me or someone

else he is you know Mallis cash prize

you know he's really harassed by his own

by his own fellow gods because they

don't want him to treat me as a human

being or a man because this would be

acknowledging that I'm you know that I'm

a human being and so they don't want any

of the gods to do this and if they

continue to do it they'll put him on the

wall by the wall I mean it they'll put

him on the tower or to put him on the

night shift when there's no one that he

can relate to around and this is what

happens to the gods and most of the gods

like from a rural background you know

white you know and like they really

can't relate I mean there's no

communication due to the fact that

approximately 75% of the institutions in

this New York state are black they don't

have the proper facilities to deal with

they need more black teachers black

instructors black election officers and

black ministers black priests and they

need that councilman you know I'm

talking about the guidance people

somebody understand the problem then it

is the civil services Commission's fault

that you only have one black guard at

Attica there we're not even one if I

wasn't a black employee I would ascribe

fault

well is it this is this is a fact for

the past 50 60 years they just assumed

that they know the problems of a black

person when they get on they don't know

it comfort they're just plain people

does but they come from things no but

they come from New York City from a

different kind of world

right but most of them come from a lot

from the New York City and many guards

come from upstate farmland and just from

two different worlds is that a problem

no it isn't because we seem to mingle

and get along pretty good did you say

what they do they go into your cell they

will

destroy your literature you might write

some you know essays they're going there

take your bed turn it upside down and

just you know more or less make your

little living conditions which you have

it's as horrible as they can I

understand the reasons that it takes you

know so many people to control that many

people but by time morning comes you own

that cell there's no other way a man can

feel but bitter and full of hate and he

has to be a superb intellect beyond all

intellect boda to remember that the

people who are keeping him here are

human beings because it is that bad now

what is your professional feeling about

prisoner prisoners being allowed to send

out uncensored mail if censorship has

taken away I feel that the prisoner will

be the loser

every time you get a letter it's open

it's censored if they think you are

supposed to get it they'll cut it like

quite a few my letters I get may be all

cut up they don't cut the stuff out the

letter they erase it true censorship

many things which accrue to the

prisoners value are found out yeah so

they essentially I'm so often that each

office had known was your personal

business you know obviously you'll be in

the yard tomorrow you might have words

with him all right so you don't get no

mail for three or four days because he's

angry how can you get back into it

easily the whole your mail bag I don't

think that anyone who has never been

near a jail I mean the average person

will believe what a jail is there is no

way on earth you can really convince the

average especially middle-class person

as to what a jail is like it's a lot

worse than anybody thinks it is you see

when a man stares you you pull he takes

your food and get it to you like you're

serving an animal how do you feel how

would you feel there's no wind would and

to possibly describe to you exactly what

his food is lack no more than J is not

even fit for a dog D the main diet is

starch starch potatoes and brilliant

susan is basically very hot water if

they say chicken soup you won't find a

piece of chicken anything well one thing

you find assumes they say being soup

you've definitely found something

otherwise you know fire tears who was

his hot water

what was the per capita cost 62 cents a

day now at that time I'm told that

that's that was a figure that produced a

diet below the level of the welfare

department did you consider it to be

adequate I can only say that in an

apartment at Attica for years had the

reputation of being one of the best

feeding institutions but that's speaking

comparatively what about looking at it

more objectively did you consider

feeding people on 62 cents a day to be

adequate it could have been much more

adequate with more I will say that

something about offices or any ailment

of heart condition has much and if the

hassle gets betrayed this is the one of

the easiest way to market this is a part

of Attica to doctors you know among the

other things I have a terminal disease

known as polycystic kidney dr. Williams

the doctor over here in dr. Sternberg

they both refused to treat me I was

urinating blood for 36 days straight and

he refused to do anything for me

so I finally got the lawyers to get me

out to the hospital

the hospital has asked the institution

to commit me to the hospital

where they can do more testing because

my right kidney has stopped operating

I'm working

only on the 7% of my left kidney and

they want to take the right kidney out

and they refused to let me go it's very

obvious when you go up there and see the

conditions and talk to these people that

it was the conditions that caused it and

you know it was it was a situation where

the the people that men up there had had

no real choice because they were dying

and you know coz these demands that they

presented you know it wasn't the past

two weeks that they presented it you

know they presented these demands

back in April and then presented him

again in July there was some you know

reform submitted to Oswald about maybe

see July about Hansen just for menial

things like you know more showers better

food or the lessening of you know

restrictions aren't reading material

things that if nature I considered a

request for whatever it was it was

something that I take it you had studied

yeah if that's Darwin you would look

them to the into the conditions and is

it fair to say that you you felt that

many of the grievances expressed there

were reasonable yes I did and in fact

many of them appeared on the so-called

twenty-eight demands which you agreed to

my correct and you inserted them

reasonable at least when you agree to

the men right

they were demands submitted to

Rockefeller and Oswald and they just

don't pay it any - I guess they'd throw

it in a wastebasket was there any

attempt made to deal with the basic

grievances that they expressed in this

manifesto many of which appeared in the

28 demands in which were at that time

over the bodies of hostages acknowledged

by the Commissioner well they were

checked out and anything that could be

done at the institutional level - many

of those were

on the commissioners level or had to do

with parole over which they had no well

they have to do they had to do with with

parole and and matters which were either

for the legislature for the correction

department but they also had to do with

things such as mad as we've discussed

the showers so as well as diet were

there any things here that in in this

manifesto that caused any change or

response on the institutional level yes

there was pork was not used to the

extent that it was before and the diet

is one of the things one of the things

that brought blacks and whites together

inadequate was the memorial for George

Jackson you know what's happened a

couple weeks before the rebellion there

was as we've heard this morning an

institution-wide demonstration in August

at brenards correct and that was the

commemoration of the death of George

Jackson at San Quentin what was the

reaction among inmates you talked to to

the shooting of George Jackson well

inmates had always been generally been

aware that in the past institution

members could get away with killing

inmates as evidenced by the bodies found

down in where the southern institutions

but and nobody ever really expected it

to happen or at least they didn't stop

to think about it as being a real

possibility until it happened to Jackson

and the fact that there was no official

investigation into it that there was a

story given out and that it seemed that

the outside world believed it this made

it appear to the inmate at Attica that

if they can get away with it there they

can get away with it anywhere you know

you have people

feel that their dough bearing other

people and there was you know no that's

the factory in Attica

you had guys that work for the water

they thought they were better than guys

they worked in you know in my laundry

guys with the man who thought they were

better than guys who was gonna mess up

guys with the mess I thought they were

better than guys a team you know Marcus

swept the hallway so it was the thing

that was a class thing but on this

particular day the George Jackson thing

everybody said you know everybody was

together

the wardens runner was sitting with you

know the guy that mop the hallway you

know that morning everybody went to miss

all nobody have touch anything nobody

had talked you don't see enough to

gallery nobody had talked on a way to

the mess hall you know and the officers

who was on duty was frightening you know

because even you would feel frightened

cuz it was it was like a church you know

was something like you never experienced

before was silence you know and it was

something you could hear the timepiece

on your hands again you know did the

unity which was demonstrated at Jackson

day create apprehension on your part yes

it did

what brought you to Attica in the first

week of September I wanted to sit down

and talk with some of the people there I

wanted to have an opportunity to get a

feel of the institution on the spot I

wanted to talk with some of the signers

of this quote manifesto which I never

consider such Commissioner Oswald then

left behind the tape and that was played

for the inmates

many of you have voiced confidence in me

the directions I have talked about and I

appreciate this I'm certain you realize

that change can't be accomplished

overnight but I can assure you that

changes will be made

just as some changes have already taken

place in the brief period of eight

months I was in myself when he played

his tape you know

wheezing himself and they played the

tape like you hear different comments

longer so you know guys that saying ah

he's bullshit and things like this say

you know see you're sucking or do not

this is you know they've been doing this

here for years making agar they're gonna

do something next he ain't gonna do

nothing you know official could get up

there and say I'm gonna do this I'm

gonna do that I'm gonna do this better

food no more brutality better

educational system no more racism right

no more callousness and while he's

saying this to the corner of his mouth

on the other stand he's saying put that

guy in a box kill him torture him don't

let him out he's voice and his political

views feed em garbage I'm it take

something like you know a a physical

action to bring any type attention to

you know the condition they're inside

the institution the next time that

Commissioner Oswald spoke to the inmates

of Attica he was in Dr

on September 9 Oh what's work what

the lives of these people are the

retaking of this institution this

institution is not important

it's lives that were interested in and

what's more important but if we cannot

live as people then we will in meat

I think what happened is definitely the

authorities for I really do I feel that

they know their prisons and they know

very well not one of them could survive

in them even after dealing with the

problem and knowing what the problem is

and it has been exposed they have still

been no consideration all rhetoric

everybody is talking about we're gonna

do this you don't do that we don't do

this we don't do that when you gonna do

this the problem is now ain't nothing

changed everything is still the same we

still ain't got nothing people been

telling them for years they know what's

got to be done they just don't want to

do it they refuse to do anything anyone

keep my with you

and they're gonna keep right on having

more Atticus or more Atticus until when

they finally realize they got to do

something but they slow learners or

something could you tell us how they've

adopted any new programs as a result of

this or intensified in the old programs

designed to reduce the possibility of

recurrence we have instituted to gun

posts all these speak about it security

security security security they would

need no security if they would give us

some help some cars creeks hell but the

people through the street don't think

about this they paint it when they cast

those votes that's what they got to

think about where that money's going

what does it follow what is it doing for

the man behind the wall we are lost

they're hiding us actually conditions

the words because there are officers you

know like the pigs right walk around

with m16s you know various weapons and

nothing's going on now see them time

there's heavy supervision there's more

security for the administration some

conditions have gotten worse in essence

maybe they said of all types of compost

is in the yard you know where inmates go

at your own population yard you know it

needs to be gun post use beyond the wall

but nowadays y'all with small yards with

inmates be to any type of gathering on

the back use the point on you you know

they just Dan you know shoot somebody

Tomatoes gonna just you know should go

over shot and everybody that's gonna

follow it could happen all over again

easily this has happened uh right

outside a good yard bill hallway but it

still having certainly I see more at

occurs just before I came out something

broke out and come on a Baltimore I

believe it was a small thing some people

had it escaped from prison women and

men's right certain I see more Atticus

the white regions he showed me something

with that blood bastard we are on the

13th an article that what we are but

that made me look deeper at me so I took

a look at myself then I took my hand off

and put it on the bed and researched it

and got myself together and start

dealing with my problems

which means of the people oh no my

brother he is strong in this era you

don't know pushover he's not little by

pushover him and knowing that my family

and my friends and my loved one my

brothers and sisters you know it's so

concerned that make my part of the

struggle much much broader you know

because I know that if I ever stop you

know that I'm not gonna be contented

with myself because I'll be letting them

down

my brother you will believe that he was

in cause he is so strong

besides you know what was he doing until

he said huh

that night he's green he said he was

going to the broom

he got so many pussy there he said you

won't even say you had a bad girl to

give in this room he said you wanted no

today he's actually very strong and I

believe one day when he to be free he

gonna really make this world become

something here my life it's for the

people for the rest of my life for the

oppressive people people I got people

gotta wake up see this is the whole

situation people been asleep to all

could be because politically unaware of

what's going on or they just never paid

any attention to it because they have

their own problems but they gotta wake

up because this is really affecting them

too and they don't realize it yet the

only time they realises when there's an

explosion when something happens look

what a cuttin will get done by Assistant

Commissioner your fraud biggest Ford

there is you can see right through him

if anybody can't see through him than

any guy glasses and Rockefeller

sanctioned all this he's actually

sanctioned all this and Nixon sanction

Rockefeller look what we got as a

president and if people can't wake up

behind all these things before I had

been pretty much of a pacifist than just

like getting high all the time and

things like that you know I found out

that if you don't become involved you

you're really given your sanction to

whatever order is existing you know and

if you don't voice some kind of

political or social opinion about the

way things are you know it's at least

you know try to change him then you're

as bad as the people that are upholding

all the all the establishments I think

the 13th woke me up when I saw those you

know when I almost got shot twice and it

was a black man that saved my life and

he candid I'm getting shot and that woke

me up I didn't think that I would

survive because there I was shot several

times and I really thought that was all

over but somehow I did survive so for

this I'm grateful you know but not a lot

of brothers didn't make it and I think

about this I think about their door

brothers you know they didn't make it

they cannot be forgotten they cannot

have died I'm Dane they're their deaths

must be something you must be made known

to the people with but they're deaf

Smith you see what the whole struggle

was about people used to forgive because

the world is fast-moving you know things

are happening every day that things that

happen yesterday today become as they

forgot about so I cannot let this death

and I will not let it die and the minds

hearts the people because it it is a

part of me and it is this that I am

dedicated to keeping alive you see in

the minds in the hearts of people so

that they can always realize that these

things can't happen to them what I

snoozed s for the people in the street I

see wake up stop hiding stop talking

about it don't exist

stop talking about you understanding

stop talking about that cold water

fragile living is good enough for you

stop talking about

will you entail hello

three meals a day I'm net weight up

because the same things happened to me

it's happened to you and deal petition

rally is that the people have to govern

elected president people's that in a

position to do some about this know how

you feel about your sons and your

dollars that's incarcerated other than

that

wake up because nothing come to a

sleepover a dream

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