Force versus Restraint in Prison Riots

Abstract

The 1971 tragedy at Attica has prompted a controversy over whether a policy of force or restraint should be used to settle prison riots. Many prison administrators maintain that restraint encourages further resistance. This article analyzes the official policy (restraint or force) adopted at each nationally reported prison riot since the Civil War. According to this historical analysis, a policy of restraint does not encourage further rebel lion, and it is almost without exception more successful than force in preserving human life.