The 1990 Strangeways Prison riot was a 25-day prison
riot and rooftop protest at Strangeways Prison in Manchester, England. The riot
began on 1 April 1990 when prisoners took control of the prison chapel, and the
riot quickly spread throughout most of the prison. The riot and rooftop protest
ended on 25 April when the final five prisoners were removed from the rooftop,
making it the longest prison riot in British penal history. One prisoner was
killed during the riot, and 147 prison officers and 47 prisoners were injured.
Much of the prison was damaged or destroyed, with the cost of repairs coming to
£55 million.
The riot sparked a series of disturbances in prisons
across England, Scotland and Wales, resulting in the British government
announcing a public inquiry into the riots headed by Lord Woolf. The resulting
Woolf Report concluded that conditions in the prison had been intolerable, and
recommended major reform of the prison system.
