Feb 2020
Attica, Attica they cried on the main street
Are they breaking pig pennies or dogged bones
In the pigpen the cops tie up the good ones
With the black ones getting the kicks, often the disease
And black boots of Spanish leather rubbed out the compound
A crooked man, said the road's dead ahead
Some might complain
That ain't much too much, after all
Many try to put you in a lurch
They kicked the habit
Let God in and got out
Today they turned their cash to churches
Loose from scandalous air
The banks are broke
What have we got to lose?
It's now or never, as we despair
Earned himself bows and arrows from green-eyed cops
When he opened the platform for talk
He tightened the noose on his neck
He had paid his dues, shot in the back
Like his friends in jailhouse
Will he bury the hatchet
Hello, why don't you ask him?
Because he's in prison?
If they neglect the shock
Peeking here
Stalking there
They'll leave with their empty cold hands, bankrupt
Are they breaking pig pennies or dogged bones
In the pigpen the cops tie up the good ones
With the black ones getting the kicks, often the disease
And black boots of Spanish leather rubbed out the compound
A crooked man, said the road's dead ahead
Some might complain
That ain't much too much, after all
Many try to put you in a lurch
They kicked the habit
Let God in and got out
Today they turned their cash to churches
Loose from scandalous air
The banks are broke
What have we got to lose?
It's now or never, as we despair
Earned himself bows and arrows from green-eyed cops
When he opened the platform for talk
He tightened the noose on his neck
He had paid his dues, shot in the back
Like his friends in jailhouse
Will he bury the hatchet
Hello, why don't you ask him?
Because he's in prison?
If they neglect the shock
Peeking here
Stalking there
They'll leave with their empty cold hands, bankrupt
The Attica Prison riot of 1971 took place at Attica Correctional Facility in New York. During morning roll-call on September 9, the 5 Company inmates heard that one of their fellow block-mates was going to be held, isolated in his cell. A group of protesters broke the roll call line to go back to their own cells in solidarity. Rather than remaining in their cells, the group freed the isolated prisoner and they all went to breakfast. When the command staff was alerted of what transpired, they hastily changed the 5 Company schedule. Rather than going outside as they typically would, the inmates and corrections officer (CO) found the door to be locked.
When more COs arrived to bring the prisoners to their cells, an angry inmate assaulted an officer and the riot began. The inmates quickly gained control of the D-yard, two tunnels, and the central control room known as Times Square. The inmates took 42 COs and civilians hostage and produced a list of grievances demanding their conditions be met before ending the rebellion.
Frank “*******” Smith, was appointed head of security over the negotiations and kept the hostages and the observers safe. Over the next four days of negotiations, authorities agreed to many of the prisoner’s demands but refused to give amnesty from prosecution for the prison takeover nor was the removal of Attica’s superintendent agreed to. The negotiations were led by 21-year-old inmate, Elliott James “L.D.” Barkley, who would be killed when the prison was retaken.
When more COs arrived to bring the prisoners to their cells, an angry inmate assaulted an officer and the riot began. The inmates quickly gained control of the D-yard, two tunnels, and the central control room known as Times Square. The inmates took 42 COs and civilians hostage and produced a list of grievances demanding their conditions be met before ending the rebellion.
Frank “*******” Smith, was appointed head of security over the negotiations and kept the hostages and the observers safe. Over the next four days of negotiations, authorities agreed to many of the prisoner’s demands but refused to give amnesty from prosecution for the prison takeover nor was the removal of Attica’s superintendent agreed to. The negotiations were led by 21-year-old inmate, Elliott James “L.D.” Barkley, who would be killed when the prison was retaken.
