Legacy
A few inmates were prosecuted for crimes committed during the uprising, but according to author Roger Morris, most crimes went unpunished. The longest additional sentence given to any convict was nine years. Nationally known criminal defense lawyer William L. Summers led the defense team in defending dozens of inmates charged in the riot's aftermath. In 1982, Mr. Summers received the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Robert C. Heeney award, the highest award available to a criminal defense lawyer for his work in defending the inmates prosecuted with regard to the riot.
After the riots, Governor King's administration resisted attempts to reform the prison. Actions were not settled until the administration of Governor Toney Anaya seven years later.
Much of the evidence was lost or destroyed during and after the riot. One federal lawsuit that had been filed by an inmate was held up in the New Mexico prison system for almost two decades.
However, systemic reforms after the riot were undertaken following the Duran v. King consent decree, which included implementation of the Bureau Classification System under Cabinet Secretary Joe Williams. This reform work has developed the modern correctional system in New Mexico.
Situated within 20 ft of the main control center, the prison library and its law collection remained relatively untouched.
Read more about this topic: New Mexico State Penitentiary Riot
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)