Dakota Datebook: Prison riots in Bismarck

On May 8 in 1957, newspapers across the country were reporting a prison riot at the State Penitentiary in Bismarck the previous day. The trouble started late in the morning, when 220 prisoners refused to go back to work in the binder-twine factory. The convicts complained of poor food, about the actions of a particularly hated guard, and inadequate time for recreation.

The inmates went back to...