Buffalo State College is cosponsoring a three-day conference, September 11–13, with the University at Buffalo Law School that revisits an infamous event in Western New York’s history—the 1971 Attica prisoner rebellion. The thought-provoking conference starts with a screening of the 2001 documentary Ghosts of Attica at 5:30 p.m. September 11 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

The conference, “40 Years after the Attica Uprising: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” features a diverse panel—prisoner advocates, legislators, corrections professionals, activists, and people who stood on the front lines of both sides of the bloodiest prison uprising in U.S. history. All events are free and open to the public.

“This provides a great educational opportunity for our students and the Buffalo community at large,” said Elizabeth Szockyj, associate professor and chair of the Buffalo State Criminal Justice Department.

On Monday, the conference examines the uprising and aftermath, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Student Union Theater on the UB North Campus. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. a community forum, “Mass Incarceration: Impact on the Community,” will be held at Bethesda World Harvest International Church, 1365 Main Street in Buffalo.

On Tuesday, participants can hear panelists discuss a range of topics from prison violence to prison reform from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the UB North Campus’s Student Union Theater. Brian Fischer, commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, will deliver the keynote address at 3:30 p.m. in 106 O’Brien Hall on UB’s North Campus. For a full list of events, visit www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/attica40.

Other conference sponsors include the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, the UB Civic Engagement and Public Policy initiative, the UB Gender Institute, and the UB Humanities Institute.

Call (716) 645-2102 or visit attica40@gmail.com to register.