The Atlanta Prison Riots were a series of riots that occurred at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in November of 1987. United States Penitentiary, Atlanta. ... Hotlanta redirects here. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cause

On November 10, 1987, the U.S. State Department announced that Cuba had agreed to reinstate a 1984 accord that would permit the repatriation of up to 2,500 Cuban nationals. Included would be Cubans who had fled in the 1980 Mariel boatlift but who, once released on "immigration parole," had been convicted of a crime and were now detained in one of two Federal prisons. November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...

Riot

Three days after the announcement, the detainees seized control of the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta. Their principal demand was that they not be repatriated to Cuba. The uprising lasted 11 days, involved more than 100 hostages, and burned down a substantial portion of the facility^[1]. The Atlanta FBI was called in to handle the negotiations and gather intel. After the hostage situation was identified, Delta Force soldiers were called in to install closed circuit TV cameras with motion detectors and alarms. After a great deal of tension, the FBI and Delta Force suppressed the riot on November 24^[2]. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) —commonly known as Delta in the U.S. Army, Delta Force by civilians, and Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense— is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

1. ^ NCJRS page on riots
2. ^ Atlanta Prison Riot