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34 Prison J. 3 (1954)

handle is hein.journals/prsjrnl34 and id is 1 raw text is: WHAT HAVE THE STATES DONE ABOUT RIOTS? T HE issue of the PRISON JOURNAL for April 1953 was devoted to PRISON RIOTS - WHY? It contained several articles dealing with the causes of riots in general and of the riots of 1952 specifically. It may be recalled that, according to the New York Times, of January 25, 1953, some twenty riots had occurred to date. There were four more riots shortly after the Times made its survey. And riots continue as witness a recent one in the Cook County (Chicago) jail. We are not here concerned with the various causes adduced by the experts for this plethora of prison disturbances. There was no unanimity of opinion on such a grave subject but all agreed that much had to be done by legislatures, prison adminis- trators and parole boards, as well as a change of opinion in society, if rioting was to be eliminated in our American prisons. This issue of the JOURNAL is an attempt to see what has been done in the various states where the riots occurred; in the form of legislation, prison discipline, or in changes of any kind that would square some of the complaints voiced by the prisoners themselves. Wherever possible we have asked academic people to supply any information from their own states that would give some idea of what action was taken in effecting reforms. The response has been quite encouraging. Only in one case, the state of Idaho, were we unable to get a response. In a few cases only a superficial report was supplied. Others, however, found much to report - some favorable, some rather discouraging. The editors wish to thank those who supplied the papers. It is our belief that our readers will find the papers both interesting and informative. As this issue was being prepared, two peripheral productions were released to the public that call for some comments. One, a book; the other a motion picture. The book, Assignment; Prison Riots by Peg and Walter McGraw* is the story of their documen- tary series on the riots of 1952 over the network of the National Broadcasting System. For the many who were not fortunate enough to hear these nine hour-long episodes of last spring, this book is a revelation. For those who tuned in on any of the graphic accounts there is a great deal to ponder. The McGraws tell how they were given this amazing assignment by N.B.C.; how they prepared for searching for facts on riots and how they were ob- tained. Over fifty miles of tape were recorded. Prisoners, ex- prisoners, governors, prison commissioners, psychiatrists, penolo- gists, guards (some who had been held as hostages), officials of *Henry Holt, 1954. 3

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