Dear Governor Cuomo,

In September of 1971, prisoners in New York State’s Attica Correctional Facility staged a four-day rebellion against the inhumane conditions they were forced to endure. Some 39 people, including 10 hostages, were brutally shot down by state police and corrections officers during the retaking of the prison despite the willingness of the prisoners to negotiate. Today, Attica stands as a testament to the inhumanity of the massacre that took place there, as well as the continued reliance on incarceration that exacerbates and perpetuates social inequality.

You have recognized that our state's prison system is inefficient, and costly, and have begun needed prison closures. However, you have yet to close a maximum-security facility like Attica. I am writing to urge you to consider closing Attica Correctional Facility and turning the prison into a memorial to all who died there. The closure of Attica would not only help our state economy - it would help heal the wounds of the past and would be a vital step forward for dignity and human rights.