Prison riot
Organized act of defiance by prisoners against each other or the prison administration
A prison riot is an act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against the prison administrators, prison officers , or other groups of prisoners.
Academic studies of prison riots emphasize a connection between prison conditions (such as prison overcrowding ) and riots,[1] [2] [3] or discuss the dynamics of the modern prison riot.[4] [5] In addition, a large proportion of academic studies concentrate on specific cases of prison riots.[6] [7] [8] Other recent research analyzes and examines prison strikes and reports of contention with inmate workers.[9]
Prison conditions
In the late 20th century, the analyses and conclusions presented to account for prison disturbances and riots began to shift and change based upon new studies and research. Initially, prison riots were considered irrational actions on the behalf of the prisoners. Nevertheless, there has been a shift in the form of explanation as external conditions like overcrowding are promoted by authorities as possible sources of causation.[10]
List of notable prison riots
The list does not include prisoner-of-war camps .
Event
Date
Location
Death toll
Notes
Ref.
1929, October 3
Colorado State Penitentiary , Cañon City, Colorado , United States
13 (5 inmates, 8 guards)
A majority of the physical plant was destroyed during the riot.
[11]
Battle of Alcatraz
1946, May 2–4
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary , Alcatraz Island , United States
5
Kingston Penitentiary riot
1954, August 14
Kingston Penitentiary , Kingston, Ontario , Canada
0
Two-hour riot involving 900 inmates. Breakout attempt was foiled. Several buildings set on fire. $2 million in damages. 160 troops and a squad of police responded.
1954, September 22
Missouri State Penitentiary , Jefferson City, Missouri , United States
4 inmates
29 injured, including 4 guards
[12]
Montana State Prison Riot
1959, April 16–18
Montana State Prison , Montana , United States
3
1958, July 31
Shita prison, Harod Valley , Israel
13 (2 jailors and 11 inmates)
The most deadly prison riot in the history of Israel. The prisoners, most of them were Palestinian Fedayeen , assaulted the prison's duty officer, took control of the armory, and fought against the police reinforcements who arrived to the scene in order to suppress the rebellion.
[13] [14]
Pulau Senang prison riot
1963, July 12
Pulau Senang , Singapore
4 prison officers
[15]
Kingston Penitentiary riot
1971, April 14
Kingston Penitentiary , Kingston, Ontario , Canada
2 inmates
1971, August 10
Idaho State Penitentiary , Boise, Idaho , United States
1 inmate
2 buildings destroyed, in March 1973 another riot that left multiple buildings destroyed.
[16]
San Quentin 1971 riot
1971, August 21
San Quentin State Prison , San Quentin, California , United States
6
Riot between Black Guerrilla Family and Mexican Mafia
Attica Prison riot
1971, September 9–13
Attica Correctional Facility , Attica, New York , United States
43
1973, July 27
Oklahoma State Penitentiary , McAlester, Oklahoma , United States
3 inmates
21 injured, 24 buildings were damaged and only 4 buildings were left usable. Over $25 million in damages
[17]
August Rebellion
1974, August
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility , Bedford Hills, New York , United States
0
Prisoners held 7 guards hostage and controlled parts of the prison for 2.5 hours. Twenty-five women were injured and twenty-four women were transferred to the Matteawan Complex for the Criminally Insane .
[18] [19]
New Mexico State Penitentiary riot
1980, February 2–3
Penitentiary of New Mexico , Santa Fe County, New Mexico , United States
33
Over 200 injured
Welikada prison massacre
1983, July 25+27
Welikada Prison , Sri Lanka
56 (53 inmates and 3 officers)
Fremantle Prison riot
1988, January 14
Fremantle prison , Fremantle , Australia
0
Prisoners created a fire and 5 officers were taken hostage. The fire caused $1.8 million in damage and unintentionally prevented the planned escape
1988, July 20
Centro Penitenciario, Michoacán , Mexico
10 inmates
13 injured
[20]
Atlanta prison riots
1987, November
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta and Federal Detention Center, Oakdale , United States
1
250 injured
1989 Davao hostage crisis
1989, August 13–15
Davao Metrodiscom, Davao City , Philippines
21 (5 hostages and 16 prisoners)
Leopoldov prison uprising
1990, March
Leopoldov Prison , Leopoldov , Slovakia
1 inmate
40 injured (11 prison officers, 29 inmates)
[21]
1990 Strangeways Prison riot
1990, April 1–25
Strangeways Prison , Manchester , England
1 inmate
194 injured (147 prison officers, 47 inmates), 25-day prison riot
Carandiru massacre
1992, October 2
Carandiru Penitentiary , São Paulo , Brazil
111
1990, June
Robinson Correctional Institution , Enfield, Connecticut , United States
0
300 to 400 inmates set fire to the mess hall and gymnasium
[22]
1993, Easter Sunday
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility , Scioto County, Ohio , United States
10 (9 inmates, 1 officer)
1994, July 12
Robinson Correctional Institution , Enfield, Connecticut , United States
2 inmates
37 injured (35 inmates, 2 correctional officers)
[22]
Prison Six rebellion
1997, August 9
Prison Six , near Atlit , Israel
0
The most famous case of a military prison riot in Israel, started by three imprisoned soldiers who demanded more humane treatment from the staff. The rebellion changed the military police's approach to its prison service sector and led to improvements in the physical structure of military prisons, as well as in conditions for both jail instructors and prisoners.
[23]
Kalutara prison riots
1997, December 12
Kalutara , Sri Lanka
3
Bindunuwewa massacre
2000, October 24
Bindunuwewa, Sri Lanka
26
2001, May
Centro de Cumplimiento Peniteciario, Iquique , Chile
28+
150 injured
[24]
2002, January 2
Urso Branco prison, in Porto Velho , Brazil
40
[25]
2003, April 5
El Porvenir prison, La Ceiba , Honduras
69
[26]
2004, May 16
El Porvenir prison, La Ceiba , Honduras
86 inmates
[27]
2004, May 29–31
Benfica prison, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
38
[28]
2004, August 19
La Esperanza prison, San Salvador , El Salvador
31
24 injured
[29]
2004, December 17
Pul-e-Charkhi prison , Kabul , Afghanistan
8 (4 inmates, 4 guards)
[30]
2005, January
Camp Bucca , Umm Qasr , Iraq
4 inmates
6 injured
2005, March 15
Camp Bagong Diwa , Taguig , Philippines
23 (22 inmates, 1 officer)
Almost all Abu Sayyaf members who rose up, including several leaders, were killed
[31]
2005, August
Pavón Prison / Granja Pino Canada / El Hoyon, Guatemala
35
[32]
2006, February
North County Correctional Facility , Castaic, California , United States
1 inmate
100+ injured
2006, February 26
Pul-e-Charkhi prison , Kabul , Afghanistan
7+
[33]
2007, January 7
Apanteos jail, near Santa Ana , El Salvador
21
[34]
2007, December
Santa Ana prison, San Cristobal, Tachira , Venezuela
30 inmates
2008, March 28
Federal Correctional Institution, Three Rivers , Live Oak County, Texas , United States
1 inmate
22 injured
[35]
2008, April 20
United States Penitentiary, Florence High , Florence, Colorado , United States
2 inmates
A large scale race riot erupted between white supremacist inmates and black inmates, resulting in 2 deaths and 5 serious injuries.
[36]
2008, October 20
Cedes prison, Reynosa , Mexico
21+
8 injured
[37]
2009 Ciudad Juárez prison riot
2009, March 4
CERESO state prison, Ciudad Juárez , Mexico
20
15 injured
2010, May 5
Santa Ana prison, San Cristobal, Tachira , Venezuela
8
3 injured
[38]
2011, October 15
Matamoros prison, Matamoros , Mexico
20
12 injured
[39]
Altamira prison brawl
2012, January 4
Cereso de Altamira, Altamira , Mexico
31
13 injured
Apodaca prison riot
2012, February 19
Apodaca , Mexico
44
12 injured
2012, May 20
Adams County Correctional Facility , Natchez, Mississippi , United States
1 guard
7 injured
[40]
Yare prison riot
2012, August 20
Yare Prison near Caracas , Venezuela
25
43 injured
2012 Welikada prison riot
2012, November 9–10
Welikada Prison , Sri Lanka
27
40 injured
2013 Uribana prison riot
2013, January 25
Uribana prison, Barquisimeto , Venezuela
61
120 injured
2013 Palmasola prison riot
2013, August 23
Palmasola , Santa Cruz de la Sierra , Bolivia
31
37 injured
Kaohsiung Prison riot
2015, February 11–12
Kaohsiung , Taiwan
6 (suicide)
Topo Chico prison riot
2016, February 10–11
Topo Chico prison , Monterrey , Mexico
52+
12 injured
2016, July 19
Pavón Prison , Fraijanes , Guatemala
13
[41]
2016 New Bilibid Prison riot
2016, September 28
New Bilibid Prison , Muntinlupa , Philippines
1
4 injured
Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo riot
2016, October 16
Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo, Boa Vista, Roraima , Brazil
25 inmates
2017, January 1
Anísio Jobim Penitentiary Complex, Amazonas , Brazil
60+
[42]
2017, January 2
Prison Unit of Puraquequara, Manaus , Brazil
10
[43]
2017, January 6
Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo, Boa Vista, Roraima , Brazil
37
[44]
2017, January 8
Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa jail, Manaus , Brazil
4
[45]
2017, January 15
Natal State Prison, Natal , Brazil
27
9 injured
[46]
2017, February 1
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center , New Castle County, Delaware , United States
1 officer
[47]
2017, May 15
Buimo prison, Lae , Papua New Guinea
17
[48]
2017, June 7
Camp Bagong Diwa , Taguig , Philippines
2
17 injured
[49]
2017, July 6
Las Cruces prison, Acapulco , Mexico
28
[50]
2017, August 11
Cedes prison, Reynosa , Mexico
9
11 injured
[51]
2017, October 11
Cadereyta prison, Nuevo León , Mexico
13
[52]
Lee Correctional Prison Riot
2018, April 15
Lee Correctional Institution , Bishopville, South Carolina , United States
7
[53]
2019, May 20
Vahdat prison, Vahdat , Tajikistan
32
[54]
Acarigua prison riot
2019, May 24
Police station cellblocks in Acarigua , Venezuela
29
19 injured
July 2019 Cameroon prison riots
2019, July 22–24
Kondengui Central Prison and Buea prison, Cameroon
Unknown
Unknown
2019 Altamira prison riot
2019, July 29
Centro de Recuperação Regional de Altamira prison, Altamira , Brazil
62
2019, December 23
El Porvenir prison, La Ceiba , Honduras
18
Cieneguillas prison riots
2019, December 31
Cieneguillas Regional Center for Social Reintegration, Cieneguillas , Mexico
16 inmates
5 injured
Cieneguillas prison riots
2020, January 2
Cieneguillas Regional Center for Social Reintegration, Cieneguillas , Mexico
1 inmate
5 injured
2020, March 8–9
Sant'Anna prison, Modena , Italy
8 inmates
According to Modena's magistrature, all 8 deaths were caused by methadone and benzodiazepine overdose. The substances were looted from Sant'Anna's pharmacy.
Modena's Procura requested the dismissal of all deaths on 3 March 2021.
[55]
Bogotá prison riot
2020, March, 22
La Modelo prison , Bogotá , Colombia
23
90 injured
[56]
2020, March 30
Sepidar Prison, Ahvaz , Iran
18
[57]
2020, March 31
Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz , Iran
Unknown
[58]
Guanare prison riot
2020, May 1
Los Llanos prison, Guanare , Venezuela
47
75 injured
[59]
February 2021 Ecuadorian prison riots
2021, February 24
Regional & Penitenciaría del Litoral, Guayaquil ; Cárcel de Turi, Cuenca ; Centro de Rehabilitación Social Sierra Norte Cotopaxi, Latacunga , Ecuador
79
Coordinated riot as a result of a drug turf war. Eighteen beheadings and at least one prisoner had his heart cut out.
[60]
September 2021 Guayaquil prison riot
2021, September 29
Penitenciaría del Litoral, Guayaquil , Ecuador
118
Coordinated riot as a result of a drug turf war.
[61]
November 2021 Guayaquil prison riot
2021, November 13
Penitenciaría del Litoral, Guayaquil , Ecuador
68
25 Injured
[62]
2022, January 25
Social Rehabilitation Center (Cereso) Colima , Mexico
9
[63]
Battle of al-Hasakah (2022)
2022, January 20–30
Al-Sina'a prison, Al-Hasakah, Syria
507
Large-scale Islamic State attack and prison riot aimed at freeing arrested fighters of the Islamic State.
Tuluá prison riot
2022, June 28
Tuluá prison, Tuluá , Valle del Cauca , Colombia
52
[64]
2023, January 1
CERESO state prison, Ciudad Juárez , Mexico
14 (4 inmates, 10 guards)
[65]
2023, February 9
Hatay Closed Prison, Hatay Province , Turkey
3
Three inmates were killed and 12 more injured after soldiers opened fire during a riot. The prisoners were demanding to see their families affected by the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake .
[66]
Támara prison riot
2023, June 20
Women's Center for Social Adaptation, Támara, Honduras
46+
A conflict presumed to be between MS-13 and Barrio 18 killed 46 people, after a riot caused a major fire.
[67]
Gulag uprisings
See also
Notes
^ Bidna, Howard (1975-03-01). "Effects of increased security on prison violence" . Journal of Criminal Justice . 3 (1): 33–45. doi :10.1016/0047-2352(75)90097-5 . ISSN 0047-2352 .
^ Ellis, Desmond (Sep 1984). "Crowding and Prison Violence: Integration of Research and Theory" . Criminal Justice and Behavior . 11 (3): 277–308. doi :10.1177/0093854884011003003 . ISSN 0093-8548 .
^ Gaes, Gerald G. (1994). "Prison Crowding Research Reexamined" . The Prison Journal . 74 (3): 329–363. doi :10.1177/0032855594074003004 . ISSN 0032-8855 .
^ Useem, B. (1985). Disorganization and the New Mexico prison riot of 1980. American Sociological Review, 50 (5). 677–688.
^ Newbold, G. (1989). Punishment and Politics: The Maximum Security Prison in New Zealand. Auckland: Oxford University Press.
^ Colvin, M. (1982). The 1980 New Mexico prison riot. Social Problems, 29 (5). 449–463.
^ Useem, B. and Kimball, P. (1987). A theory of prison riots. Theory and Society, 16 (1). 87–122.
^ Dinitz, S. (1991). Barbarism in the New Mexico state prison riot: The search for meaning a decade later. In Kelly, R. and MacNamara, D. (eds.). Perspectives on Deviance: Dominance, Degradation and Denigration. Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing Company.
^ "Maintenance | Cairn International" .
^ Ellis, D. (1984). Crowding and prison violence: Integration of research and theory. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 11 (3). 277–308.
^ "Prison outbreak worst in history" . coloradohistoricnewspapers.org . Retrieved 21 May 2020 .
^ "The 1954 Riot at Missouri State Penitentiary" . missouripentours.com . Retrieved 26 December 2021 .
^ "Palestinian inmate badly wounded in northern Israel prison fire" . jpost . 14 June 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2024 .
^ The full story of Shita's prison riot , A scan from the Israeli newspaper Davar saved in National Library of Israel , August 8 1958 (in Hebrew)
^ "A Forgotten Past – 'Prison on Fire' at Pulau Senang" . remembersingapore . 26 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "Idaho inmates riot: destroy 2 buildings" . NYTimes . 11 August 1971. Retrieved 26 December 2021 .
^ "The Story Behind This Oklahoma State Penitentiary Riot Is Truly Disturbing" . onlyinyourstate . 12 August 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Metropolitan Briefs - 45 Women Inmates in Disturbance" . The New York Times . 30 Aug 1974. Retrieved 13 Jul 2021 .
^ "Nor Meekly Serve Her Time: Riots and Resistance in Women's Prisons" . newpol.org . 12 January 2010. Retrieved 2017-03-22 .
^ "Inmates at a prison in central Mexico took guns..." upi . 21 July 1988. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "Vzpoura vězňů v Leopoldově před 20 lety: plamenomety a barikády ve věznici" . iDNES.cz . 14 March 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2019 .
^ a b "Robinson Correctional Institution Profile and Valuable Information" . golookup . Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ Gili Cohen, 20 Years After Infamous Military Prison Revolt, Reform Still Proves Hard Sell in Israeli Army , Haaretz , September 13th 2017
^ "At least 28 die in Chile prison riot fire" . CNN . 21 May 2001. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "40 believed dead in Brazilian prison riot" . The Guardian . 3 January 2002. Retrieved 13 December 2021 .
^ "Honduras rioters back in prison" . CNN . 7 April 2003. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "Honduran Prison Riot Leaves 86 Dead" . CNN . 17 May 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "38 dead in Brazil in brutal prison riot" . cbc.ca . 1 June 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2021 .
^ "El Salvador prison riot kills 31" . news.bbc.co.uk . 19 August 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "8 Are Killed as Inmates Try to Escape Kabul Prison" . The New York Times . 18 December 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ Punay, Edu (16 March 2005). "Troops storm jail; 23 dead" . Philstar.com . Retrieved 2 July 2023 .
^ "The Worst Prison Riots of All Time" . worldatlas . 8 March 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020 .
^ "Inmates riot in Afghanistan prison" . CNN . 26 February 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "El Salvador jail rioters kill 21" . news.bbc.co.uk . 7 January 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Gang riot at Three Rivers prison leaves inmate dead" . Chron . 29 March 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Racist Prison Riot on Hitler's Birthday" . Southern Poverty Law Center . Retrieved 2022-02-03 .
^ "At least 21 dead in Mexico prison riot" . chinadaily . 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2020 .
^ "Venezuela's Santa Ana Prison riot leaves eight inmates dead" . news.com.au . 5 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Mexico prison fight kills 20 in Matamoros" . BBC . 15 October 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2020 .
^ "Guard killed, several others injured in riot at Mississippi prison, officials say" . CNN . 21 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Thirteen Killed in Guatemala Prison Riot: Reports" . news18 . 19 July 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2020 .
^ "Dozens killed in prison riot in Brazil city of Manaus" . aljazeera . 2 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "10 die in new Brazilian prison riot" . gantdaily . 14 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "In Brazil, prison riots and killings expose the structural failures of mass incarceration" . penalreform.org . 28 March 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "New Brazil prison clash leaves at least four dead in Amazon region" . reuters . 8 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Death toll from Brazil jail riot at 27, nine injured" . reuters . 15 January 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "16 inmates charged with murder in Delaware prison riot" . 6abc . 17 October 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Seventeen killed in mass prison break in Papua New Guinea" . BBC . 15 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2020 .
^ "2 inmates dead, 17 wounded in riot during protest over power outage in Camp Bagong Diwa jail" . interaksyon . 7 June 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Mexico violence: 28 dead in prison fight in Acapulco" . BBC . 6 July 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020 .
^ "9 inmates killed in Reynosa prison riot" . mexiconewsdaily . 11 August 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2020 .
^ "Mexico prison riot leaves 13 dead" . BBC . 11 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020 .
^ "Who are the seven inmates killed at Lee Correctional Institution?" . wistv . 16 April 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Islamic State prison riot in Tajikistan leaves 32 dead" . telegraph.co.uk . 20 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020 .
^ "8 morti in rivolta a Modena, chiesta archiviazione" [8 dead in Modena riot, dismissal requested]. ANSA (in Italian). 3 March 2021.
^ "Riot in Colombia prison leaves 23 dead: government" . thejakartapost . 23 March 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Dozens Killed In Iran Prison Riots, Local Reports Say" . iran-hrm . 2 April 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Inmates' families kept in the dark following prison riots in southwest Iran" . iran-hrm . 5 April 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Venezuela prison riot death toll rises to 47, report NGO and official" . malaymail . 3 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020 .
^ "Ecuador Raises Death Toll From Prison Riots to 79; Police Chief Warns of New Riot" . usnews.com . 24 February 2021. Retrieved 27 Feb 2021 .
^ "(En vivo) Presidente Guillermo Lasso ofrece rueda de prensa sobre situación carcelaria tras masacre en Penitenciaría del Litoral" . El Universo (in Spanish). 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021 .
^ "Dozens of inmates killed in latest Ecuador prison clashes" . Al Jazeera . 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021 .
^ "9 dead, 7 injured as inmates riot inside Mexican prison" . ABC News . 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022 .
^ "Death toll rises to 52 in southwestern Colombia prison riot" . thelocalread.com . 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022 .
^ "14 killed in attack on prison in Mexico border city" .
^ "Three inmates killed in prison riot in Turkey's quake-hit Hatay" . duvarenglish.com . 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023 .
^ "Honduras prison violence: At least 41 killed in women's jail riot" . BBC News . 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-06-20 .
19th century 20th century 21st century