Naked inmates lined up, hands on their heads, while guards pointed at them with guns. Dead bodies lay on the ground, covered in blood as helicopters dropped gas bombs on the prison. Smoke filled the air.

Even after almost 40 years, inmates still burst into tears when recalling what happened that day in Attica, N.Y.

Monday evening, the hourlong documentary film, “Criminal Injustice: Death and Politics at Attica,” screened in Slocum Hall. The film depicted black-and-white footage of the tragic Attica prison riot in 1971, one of the most intense moments in New York state’s history. The film screening was followed by a Q-and-A session with the film’s directors and co-writers, Dave Marshall and Chris Christopher.

“It’s a topic that touches people,” Marshall said. “It’s a tragic story. People’s lives were destroyed and continue to be haunted by this.”

In 1971, about 1,000 inmates started a riot to demand better conditions in the prison. They asked to negotiate with the governor, but then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller saw the negotiation as a sign of weakness and refused their demands.

The riot was suppressed by force. Using helicopters and firearms, state police and prison guards retook the prison. Twenty-nine inmates and 10 hostages were killed.

An enormous amount of research took the filmmakers two and half years to finish the film. However, Marshall said many official documents about the prison riot are still sealed and the state police destroyed a large amount of files. Some of the historical footage used in “Criminal Injustice” was gained from independent filmmaker Cinda Firestone, who made the documentary “Attica” in 1974.

The film shows how living conditions in the Attica prison at the time were unbearable and overcrowded. Prisoners were abused and there was not enough food.

Christopher, co-director of “Criminal Injustice,” said the problem still exists, even today.

In the film, the chosen spokesman for the prisoners, Elliot “L.D.” Barkley from Rochester, N.Y., was believed to have been killed by a ricochet bullet. However, after going through the first version of his autopsy, Christopher confirmed the long-held prevailing rumor that a guard murdered Barkley.

“The more I learned about his personal story, the more outraged that I became,” Christopher said. “There are so many horrible things that we would have had to fill up a 60-DVD set to tell the story in its entirety, because it is such a tragedy.”

The two filmmakers said they think it is time to open up the sealed files of the Attica prison riot to give closure for those whose lives were destroyed by the event.

Tatiana Williams, a freshman social work major, attended the event as a requirement for one of her classes that deals with imprisonment and criminal justice. She said she is interested in criminal injustice issues and how prison systems function properly.

Said Williams: “Both of the people that made it are from Rochester and I’m from Rochester. It’s going to be interesting to see what they put together and what their perspective is in that situation.”

Published on February 26, 2013 at 1:58 am

Contact Ruth: jli64@syr.edu