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Attica is a town in Wyoming County, New York, United States. The population was 7,702 as of 2010. The Town of Attica is on the northern boundary of the county and contains part of a village also named Attica (the northern part of the village is within the adjacent town of Alexander in Genesee County). The Department of Corrections is a major employer, as both the maximum security Attica Correctional Facility and medium-security Wyoming Correctional Facility are located here. [edit] History
The Town of Attica was established in western New York in 1811 from a part of the Town of Sheldon. In 1816, part of Attica was taken to organize the new Town of Orangeville. Attica is the location of two state prisons: New York's maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility and medium-security Wyoming Correctional Facility, both located south of the Village of Attica. Since the 1930s Attica had been a prison town, and most correctional officers live here or nearby with their families. On September 9, 1971, in the Attica Prison riot, more than 1200 inmates (of 2200) took over control of the prison. They sought to negotiate with authorities to improve living conditions. The state suppressed the uprising on September 13, 1971 with armed corrections officers, state police, and New York National Guard. Of the 43 men who died, law enforcement gunfire killed 10 hostages and 30 prisoners. [edit] Research Tips
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