The New Mexico State Prison Riot DESCENT INTO MADNESS The New Mexico State Prison Riot

The Penitentiary of New Mexico Prison Riot, which took place on February 2 and 3, 1980, in the state's maximum security prison south of Santa Fe, was one of the most violent prison riots in the history of the American correctional system: 33 inmates died and more than 200 inmates were treated for injuries. None of the 12 officers taken hostage were killed, but seven were treated for injuries caused by beatings and rapes. This was the third major riot at the NM State Penitentiary, the first occurring on 19 July 1922 and the second on 15 June 1953. The official death toll included 33 people. Of them, 24 were Hispanic, 7 were White, one was Black, and one was Native American.

Causes The causes of the New Mexico Penitentiary riot are well documented. Author R. Morris wrote that "the riot was a predictable incident based on an assessment of prison conditions. 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 1,136 inmates in a prison designed for only 900.Prisoners were not adequately separated. Many were housed in communal dormitories that were unsanitary and served poor-quality food. Another major cause of the riot was the cancellation of educational, recreational and other rehabilitative programs that had run from 1970 to 1975. In that five-year period, the prison had been described as relatively calm. When the educational and recreational programs were stopped in 1975, prisoners had to be locked down for long periods. These conditions created strong feelings of deprivation and discontent in the inmate population that would later lead to violence and disorder.

Hostages taken Violence ensues Negotiations begin Inmates flee Order restored The axe mark The burn mark

Introduction: Summary of the whole event The influence Basic understanding to readers

Background The organize condition before The turning point The blasting fuse of the riot

Overview The cause and the time line The situation in each Cellblock The end of the riot

Switzerland Crime Rate: 13679 (38 times than China) (2012)

Mexico Homicide Rate: 15.9/100000 (The crime rate is just a little bit higher than Switzerland that around 14000)

Summary The true reason that punctuated the riot is the lack of organization by inmates and violent inmate cliques. Due to the mergence of these violent inmate cliques, young prisoners began entering a situation that full of violence, and these social dynamics finally produce a horrific result.

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