workingclasshistory:

On this day, 15 March 1973, inmates at Walpole prison Massachusetts responded to a mass walkout by prison guards unhappy with the prison governors’ rehabilitation reforms by running the prison themselves. A group of civilian monitors observed the inmates as they improved conditions for the population and successfully eliminated violence within the prison, whilst also finding corroborating evidence of violence and abuse from the guards. The self organisation of the inmates came to an end when state troopers armed with clubs and dogs forced the inmates into a lockdown and allowed the guards to return and regain control of the prison. An account of the event is here: https://ift.tt/2pfd7Qo https://ift.tt/2O9f9xQ