Joliet prison riot
The Joliet prison riot, which occurred in March 1931, stemmed from growing unrest among inmates in response to a variety of grievances. Central to the discontent was a 1927 state law that limited parole eligibility, effectively mandating that many inmates serve at least ten years before being considered for early release. This frustration was compounded by the economic struggles of the Great Depression, leading to a severe lack of jobs and significant overcrowding, as the facility housed nearly double its intended capacity of 800 inmates. Tensions reached a boiling point after a tragic incident known as "The Washington Birthday Massacre," where three inmates were killed by guards during an escape attempt, which inmates viewed as a brutal and preventable act.
On the day of the riot, inmates began to protest during mealtime, escalating to violence against guards. The rioting was met with force, leading to casualties on both sides, including the shooting of a young inmate. The unrest highlighted the plight of prisoners and aimed to bring attention to their rights, particularly concerning those who were ill and denied parole. The event was significant not only for its immediate impact but also for its role in raising awareness about prisoners' rights during a challenging period in American history.
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Joliet prison riot
The Event Illinois prison riot in which inmates hoped to rally outside support for institutional reforms
Date March 14, 1931
Place Joliet, Illinois
This was the seventh major prison riot in the United States in two years. The riot highlighted the often dehumanizing conditions present in the U.S. prison system of the time and gave the issue of prisoners’ rights a level of legitimacy. Prisoners expressed grievances over a new parole law and prison administration.
Joliet prison sits about thirty miles outside Chicago, Illinois. Unrest leading to the riot reflected inmate displeasure with a 1927 state law that the state’s parole board interpreted to mean that many inmates would not be eligible for “good time” or an early parole hearing until they had served at least ten years. Other issues leading to the riot were a lack of inmate jobs in the aftermath of the Depression, overcrowding (built for 800, Joliet housed 1,800 men), and the killing of three prisoners attempting to escape on February 22, 1931. The guards had learned that the three inmates intended to escape. Instead of stopping the escape, the guards let the three inmates get far enough to shoot them. The inmates perceived the act as brutal and avoidable. They referred to the killings as “The Washington Birthday Massacre.” After the massacre, prison chaplain Reverend George Whitmeyer resigned. A former convict himself, he had alerted the guards about the planned escape, not expecting that the men would be killed.
Three weeks after the attempted escape, the rioting began at the noon mealtime. Inmates began throwing objects. Captain D. A. Davenport, one of the guards involved in a previous shooting, suffered a broken arm after a prisoner threw a pot at him. One rioter, twenty-three-year-old Albert Yarbeck, was shot to death. Another three, twenty-four-year-old George Jakowanis, twenty-year-old Joseph Kwoka, and forty-one-year-old Mike Casselli, were wounded. With the exception of Casselli, the victims were shot by Frank Cutchin as they assaulted Davenport. Led by Warden Henry Hill, forty guards attempted to quell the outbursts with gunfire, gas bombs, and fire. On March 18, the inmates at neighboring Stateville, the newer prison nearby, had a related, larger, and more dangerous riot that involved efforts to set that prison ablaze.
Impact
The riot was an effort to garner outside sympathy, especially for ill and dying inmates who had been denied parole. It raised the profile of prisoners’ rights.
Bibliography
Erickson, Gladys A. Warden Ragen of Joliet. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1957.
Useem, Bert, and Peter Kimball. States of Siege: U.S. Prison Riots, 1971-1986. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.