Spread to Other Prisons
The uprising at the State Prison of Southern Michigan (SPSM) had a domino effect on other prisons in the Michigan system over the following days, notably at Michigan Reformatory (MR) in Ionia and Marquette Branch Prison. MR and Marquette Branch faced similar overcrowding and poor conditions to Jackson, and tensions had reached a breaking point.
The uprising at MR occurred on May 22, 1981, when a fight broke out in the yard. Several incarcerated people, reflecting on the cause of the tension, noted racial factors playing a role in the MR dynamic. Several COs were reported to have been injured shortly after the fights broke out and a shot was fired into the crowd. Incarcerated people were able to take hold of the keys to the facility and reports of the incident detailed a racial divide between people who entered the yard and people who stayed inside the cell blocks. Warden Dale Foltz was forced to call in assistance from neighboring facilities and training units to curtail the uprisings. Approximately an hour later, tear gas had been deployed and fires had been lit in the yard. Chaos ensued, with some incarcerated people being stabbed and staff feeling as though their lives were threatened. No deaths occurred from the MR uprising. In the early hours of May 23, fires were put out and the uprising was over. Following the uprising, incarcerated people faced lockdown, deprivation of meals, and loss of privileges. Ultimately, over 35 people were charged by a task force appointed by Governor Milliken to investigate the causes.