Today we live in a society filled with crime and fear. We are told not to go out after a certain time, to always travel in groups and sometimes even to carry a weapon with us. There is only one thing that reassures us in this new and frightening world we live in: the American penal system. Growing up, we are taught to believe that all the bad people in the world are locked away, out of sight, and that we are beyond the reach of their dangerous grasp. Additionally, we believe that the murderers and rapists we watch on TV should be forgotten once they are arrested and never bothered again. We wish them the most horrible fate and rot in the caged institution they are forced to call their new home. But where do we draw the line for cruelty towards those who are among the cruelest people in our country? And what happens when one of our nation's strictest and strongest institutions collapses? What do we do when that peace of mind, the only thing that lets us sleep at night, suddenly disappears? This is exactly what happened during and after the Attica Prison Riot in 1971. The riot created an incredibly immense change, not only in prison conditions, but also in the security we we feel as American citizens, both in our penal system. system and the American government. The Attica Prison Riot led to much-needed prison reform in terms of security and prison conditions, which was necessary despite the social reactions it provoked and which are still felt today. The 1970s in the United States were a time of incredible change, doubt, as well as reform. The numerous problems occurring across the country contributed to the discomfort of many prisoners which ultimately led to their e...... middle of paper ...... Prison. " History.com. A&E Television Networks, nd Web February 26, 2014. "1970-1978: The Prisoner Movement in the United States." Libcom.org, nd Web, February 27, 2014. .Gerald Benjamin and Stephen P. Rappaport, Proceedings of the Academy of Political Science Vol. 31, No. 3, Governing New York State: The Rockefeller Years (May 1974), pp. 200-213 "The National Commission on Prison Reform Begins Its Work." for prison reform begins its work, February 27, 2014. "After the uprising in Attica | The Nation." After the uprising in Attica | The Nation. Np, nd Web. February 27. 2014. .