Research

Administrative History

In 1974 a class action lawsuit was filed by inmate survivors of the Attica uprising against state officials or their estates. The suit alleged that the plaintiffs were severely abused and mistreated by state authorities after control of the facility was retaken from the rioters in September, 1971. After several lengthy complex proceedings, including several trials and appeals, the suit was assigned to the U.S. District Court Western District of New York in August 1999.

Following intensive negotiations, the parties presented a proposed settlement agreement in January 2000 which provided for the State of New York (without admitting liability) to pay $8 million into a fund to be apportioned by the Court among qualified plaintiff class members. The settlement agreement also provided that a separate fund be established in the amount of $4 million by the State for disbursement to plaintiffs' class attorneys for legal services rendered. Notable defendants in the case included the estate of Nelson A. Rockefeller, governor of the State of New York at the time of the uprising; Norman Hurd, Director of State Operations; Russell G. Oswald, Commissioner of the Dept of Correctional Services; Vincent Mancusi Superintendent of Attica Correctional Facility; Leon Vincent, Deputy Superintendent; and Karl Pfeil, Assistant Deputy Superintendent.