Rikers Island, New York, New York
June 19, 2016
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According to an inmate, during the NBA Finals the warden at Rikers Island promised that if the Cleveland Cavaliers made it to game seven then the inmates could keep the TV on past lock up time in order to finish watching the game. The night of game seven, guards went back on this promise and turned the TV off during the second quarter. This prompted a spontaneous uprising as prisoners refused to leave the dayroom, built barricades out of tables and chairs, and coated the floor in shampoo and water. The barricade held for two hours before a security team forced their way in, slipping on the shampoo. Following the uprising, some of the participants were sent to solitary confinement.
Citations:
“Humans of New York Facebook post“, December 10, 2018.