AllMovie

This documentary, part of the 20th Century With Mike Wallace series from CBS News and the History Channel, goes behind the scenes of the 1971 riot at Attica State Penitentiary in New York State, one of the most violent and deadly prison riots in history. Narrated by series host and CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace, this episode begins by telling how the riot began and leads into the drastic steps that then-governor Nelson Rockefeller took in controlling the prisoners. Instead of trying to find a peaceful solution to this crisis, Rockefeller ordered the prison to be attacked, in order to regain control. 20th Century With Mike Wallace features interviews with some of the people who were there to witness the horror, including writer Tom Wicker, who was part of the Attica Observers Committee and a journalist for the New York Times. Wicker later wrote a book about this tragedy, called A Time to Die.