In December 1973, at Walpole Prison in Massachusetts, guards initiated a Kwanzaa lockup - except it didn’t last two weeks. They withheld clean clothes, showers, and visits for over two months. So, with strategy and incredible organization, these incarcerated men struck back.
After going on strike, the men negotiated to allow citizen observers inside to see what they were going through: frequent beatings, denied medical attention, and guards regularly sedating them with drugs. Despite the new citizen observers, guards walked off the job.
So, starting on March 15, incarcerated people had control of the prison for over two months.
Their main goal was self-determination. And having previously operated an underground library and Black Panther-taught classes, they were set up for success.
They even formed their own chapter of the National Prisoners Reform Association and ran everything - from cooking to conflict resolution to documenting records. There was not a single outbreak of violence or assault during those months.
But on May 18, the state had had enough. Police and guards brought guns and ammunition and on May 20, clubs and dogs. By July, the civilian observer program was gone.
Still, the Walpole Prison uprising is a reminder that, despite what the criminal legal system claims, incarcerated people can be self-sufficient. All of us can. And that’s nothing short of powerful.