Penitentiary of New Mexico Riot; 4; Historic Film Collection, Video 0004

Transcript

Good morning from the New Mexico State Penitentiary. I'm Roger Bimer with Mary Ingersoll and Lee Williams. We've been here for now about eight hours. Because at two o'clock this morning, some inmates at the New Mexico State Penitentiary took over control from the administration and the state corrections department. It's still a big mess if you want to know the truth about what's going on behind the walls of the Penitentiary. All we can tell you is that about 2.30 this morning, some guards somehow and other broke into the control center, or that is some inmates broke into the control center where the guards were stationed and took over control of the Penitentiary. Since that time, National Guard has been called up. The state police have been called out. All of the Santa Fe County Sheriff is here. The Santa Fe City police are here. The governor has arrived on the scene. And as you can see in the background right now, the National Guard helicopters and National Guard troops from Santa Fe and Espanola have been called out. General Miles, the head of the National Guard is on hand here at the New Mexico Penitentiary site. And all we are doing is standing by waiting to see what happens next. No one has yet found out exactly what the inmates of the Penitentiary want.

There have been people injured, two inmates, and also two guard prison guards. There apparently are still more people injured. They remain in the confines, the Penitentiary. Everything that's happened has been within the confines of the Penitentiary. No one has escaped. Everything has happened inside the Penitentiary. It houses about 1100 inmates. 84 of those, or now we understand about 100 of those inmates, have said they want no further part of what's going on in there. No further part of this insurrection of the organization of the Penitentiary. They have given up and said, let the other folks take it we want. We want no further part. Mary Angusol arrived here after daybreak this morning. She flew over in a chartered helicopter. Mary, when you flew over, there was smoke coming out of everywhere. Would you kind of tell me what it looked like as you came on the scene? Yes, Roger, as we flew over, it really took a while to get in close to what was going on. But it appeared that two or three possibly even four sections of the prison or cell blocks were on fire. At this time, there's no way of determining how many of the inmates may be responsible for the fires, how they set the fires.

What in fact was burning? I've been talking to some of the fire officials who were here and they suspect that it was mattresses. They really aren't sure what else could have been on fire in there. At the time that I was flying over, it looked as though more were progressively being set. The latest rumor or whatever is going on is that cell blocks number three and four are also on fire right now. There is no determination yet at this time how many of the inmates may have been injured in these fires and what the purpose of the fires may have been. And also at the time we were flying over in one particular courtyard of the prison. We saw a lot of furniture had been tossed out of the windows. Some broken chairs, broken beds, anything that looked wooden and was breakable had been tossed out the window. And we yet have heard nothing about what the purpose was behind that. All right, I know as we stand here about a quarter to a mile to a half a mile, maybe a cluster to a mile away from the penitentiary. We have that direction now and see plumes of white smoke pouring out.

I'm not sure where that smoke is coming from, whether it's coming from a fire that was set, a fire that's being put out or what. Also between here and there we can also see the National Guard. Right, that would coincide with the report I heard a while ago that cell blocks three and four had just gone up and smoke. Although fire officials really aren't sure exactly what areas the fires are contained in or if they are in fact contained. Okay, Murray, let's you go find out what's going on now. Lee Williams has also joined me and with him is made on love this state police board chairman. Roger mainland has some of the latest information. He's been into the pen just a little while ago. What is it like in that man? Well, it's quite a disaster at this time. A number of the cell blocks as you've just been told are on fire. There's water on the floors where some of the inmates have tried to put fires out the warden's office is totally burned. The conference room certain of the other rooms in the adjacent area. At this time negotiations are going on Lee with the prisoners with the prison officials and they have on occasion talked to certain inmates have come out. It seems to be probably different factions in different cell blocks and it's not all centralized in one place.

Some of the inmates themselves and they are quite frightened. Oh yes, there are some I'm sure that would like to be released at this time and some have been able to escape and surrender. When you say escape, you mean escaping the other inmates? It's all contained within the walls. Well, I say escape from whatever their dangers are in there and they have come out and they are being detained now by prison officials and they are being talked to. Alan, is there any indication? I know we've talked to the warden and Johnny Ramming from the corrections department. Is there any indication this thing was very well organized? Have you had a chance to talk to him? Can you find out? I have not talked to the prison officials about what started this. No, whether it was spontaneous or what actually happened. I'm inclined to think it's probably more spontaneous than organized. Thank you. Thank you, Bailey, for coming by. I said a few moments ago, warden Griffin has been out trying to brief the members of the press on what is going on here and there. And he has indicated to us several times that what is important to him right now is to let the people inside the penitentiary know that they are taking the steps.

Okay, are you just going to block this? The entry is right. Okay, here we go. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay.

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Transcript

Transcript

Program: Penitentiary of New Mexico Riot

Episode Number: 4

Raw Footage: Historic Film Collection, Video 0004

Producing Organization: KOAT-TV

Contributing Organization: New Mexico State Records Center and Archives (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

AAPB ID: cpb-aacip-128f3835397

If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip-128f3835397).

Description

Credits: Producing Organization: KOAT-TV

AAPB Contributor Holdings: New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
Identifier: cpb-aacip-1e3870f799f (Filename)
Format: U-matic

Citations: Chicago: “Penitentiary of New Mexico Riot; 4; Historic Film Collection, Video 0004,” 1981-02-02, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed October 5, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-128f3835397.; MLA: “Penitentiary of New Mexico Riot; 4; Historic Film Collection, Video 0004.” 1981-02-02. New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. October 5, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-128f3835397>.; APA: Penitentiary of New Mexico Riot; 4; Historic Film Collection, Video 0004. Boston, MA: New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-128f3835397