The Oklahoma State Penitentiary (OSP) opened in 1908 with only 50 inmates in a makeshift facility on over 1,500 acres in McAlester, Oklahoma. A permanent facility was built in 1911 and began housing inmates in large numbers. The facility could house eleven-hundred inmates and that number easily was surpassed by 1920. Fast forward to 1973, to an overcrowded OSP that was overfilled with twenty-two hundred inmates. The prison was obviously overcrowded and in desperate need of reform. The prisoners were very discontent with the conditions and, along with other reasons, grew weary of any hope for change. What happened next was forewarned to government officials by advocacy groups due to the dire situation at the prison.
On July 27, 1973, one of the worst prison riots in U.S. history broke out in McAlester. The prison erupted in violence and inmates stabbed two prison workers before taking 21 other prison officials hostage.
okhistory.org
Three hours after the riot broke out, the prisoners had gained control of the hospital; nearly 30 minutes later, the prison was on fire. The prisoners eventually released the hostages but kept control of the prison until August 4th.
AP Archive/Youtube
The riot caused more than $25 million dollars in damages to over 20 buildings. Along with the damage the facility incurred, three inmates lost their lives and 21 inmates and guards were injured.
AP Archive/Youtube
Watch this rare footage of the 1973 McAlester prison riot:
okhistory.org
AP Archive/Youtube
Do you like learning new things about Oklahoma’s past? If so, learn about the evil history of the Hex House in Tulsa.
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