On November 24, 1971, a significant prison rebellion erupted at Rahway State Prison (now known as East Jersey State Prison) in New Jersey. The unrest began when inmates violently assaulted Superintendent U. Samuel Vukcevich during an attempt to address their grievances in the prison auditorium. Vukcevich, along with three correction officers, was seized and held hostage in a cell for approximately 24 hours while negotiations took place. ?Justia Law

The inmates’ demands included improvements in their diet, regulation of commissary prices, enhanced educational and vocational training programs, better discipline among officers, and increased medical supplies. The situation was resolved without loss of life, and the hostages were released without the use of firearms. ?Wikipedia

This rebellion at Rahway State Prison occurred in the same year as the more widely known Attica Prison uprising in New York, highlighting a period of significant unrest and calls for reform within the U.S. prison system. ?American Friends Service Committee