States of Siege: U.S. Prison Riots, 1971-1986

This book examines case studies of recent prison riots in five states, including the 1971 radical uprising in Attica, New York, and the infamous 1981 bloodbath at the New Mexico Penitentiary. The most extensive and detailed work yet written on US prison riots, the authors explain the occurrence and variations of riots as a reflection of the administrative breakdown of the prison system within a changing ideological context. A theoretical appendix helps make this work an ideal introduction to sociological theories of collective action.

Review :
"A valuable addition to the available literature on the culture of prisons and the issues and problems associated with these institutions."--Choice "[A] thoroughly professional comparative study of prison riots in five states during the 1970s and 1980s....The framework is intuitively appealing. The case studies are instructive....Useem and Kimball have provided a solid foundation on which to build."--Contemporary Sociology "The book offers a thorough review of available data on a set of recent prison riots and also builds on a great deal of original data gathered from interviews at several of the prisons. I found it all quite engrossing."--Richard E. Ratcliff, Syracuse University "States of Siege represents a major advance in thinking about prison riots. The penetrating analysis of collective violence behind bars reveals how riots result from a breakdown in administrative controls and operations. Based on a careful comparative study of disturbances in several systems, this book is must reading for prison administrators, criminal justice scholars, and anyone else who desires a fresh, realistic perspective on prison violence and how to prevent it."--John J. DiIulio, Jr., Princeton University "A landmark study of collective action. Beautifully written and judicious--ultimately one is convinced by the sheer authenticity of voice."--Mayer N. Zald, University of Michigan "A valuable addition to the available literature on the culture of prisons and the issues and problems associated with these institutions."--Choice "[A] thoroughly professional comparative study of prison riots in five states during the 1970s and 1980s....The framework is intuitively appealing. The case studies are instructive....Useem and Kimball have provided a solid foundation on which to build."--Contemporary Sociology "The book offers a thorough review of available data on a set of recent prison riots and also builds on a great deal of original data gathered from interviews at several of the prisons. I found it all quite engrossing."--Richard E. Ratcliff, Syracuse University "States of Siege represents a major advance in thinking about prison riots. The penetrating analysis of collective violence behind bars reveals how riots result from a breakdown in administrative controls and operations. Based on a careful comparative study of disturbances in several systems, this book is must reading for prison administrators, criminal justice scholars, and anyone else who desires a fresh, realistic perspective on prison violence and how to prevent it."--John J. DiIulio, Jr., Princeton University "A landmark study of collective action. Beautifully written and judicious--ultimately one is convinced by the sheer authenticity of voice."--Mayer N. Zald, University of Michigan "States of Siege is persuasive and a well-executed study. The link between prison riots and forms of collective action has been greatly advanced. Anyone interested in a sociological analysis of prisons, correctional administration, and especially collective action would profit from reading this work."--American Journal of Sociology "This book...not only explains why riots occur, but why they are of such variant kinds. It makes a crucial contribution to the comparative study of riots, and by implication to other forms of collective action. Those interested in prison reform will find much to be instructed by in this book."--Richard Cloward, Columbia University, and Frances Fox Piven, City University of New York "A richly detailed case study of seven riots...that is well written and well documented."--The Annals of the Academy of Political Science "Useem and Kimball bring it all together, to risk an old cliché....A topic to again bring into our lectures, an excellent supplementary text for criminology, criminal justice, and corrections courses....Well-organized....The reader will gain greatly from the work of Useem and Kimball."--Social Science Quarterly