Throughout the 20th century, the New Mexico State Penitentiary earned a reputation of being, ironically, a lawless place - where violent and non-violent prisoners were forced to co-exist in cramped and deplorable conditions.

Violence was constant, and certain cell blocks were allowed to run rampant over others. To make matters even worse, the prison's revolving door of wardens through the 1970's kept implementing changes, but just ended up creating vacuums... which were only ever filled with apathy and disorder.

This eventually reached a head in the final days of 1979, when rumors of a vicious uprising began spreading through the facility. Prison officials thought nothing of it at the time, but in the early morning hours of February 2nd, 1980... the powder keg could no longer be contained.

Part one of three

 

Written, hosted, and produced by Micheal Whelan

Learn more about this podcast at unresolved.me

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Music Credits

OKAM vs ps - "Understanding the Limits of Symbiotic Echolocation"

Parvus Decree - "First Encounter"

Murmurous - "Fathom"

Other music written and composed by Ailsa Traves