Beyond The Riot 
Step Inside The Most Violent Prison Riot In U.S. History
 

In 1980, chaos erupted inside the Penitentiary of New Mexico. PNM is the state's maximum security prison, housing the highest security classification of male offenders. 

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For 36 hours, a group of inmates seized control of the prison by taking over the control center, raising the administrative office, setting documents on fire, and ransacking the prison's pharmacy. But it didn't end there. Some inmates participated in "death squads" and attacked, burned, and killed other prisoners. The guards who couldn't escape were held hostage and beaten. 

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The chaos grew so intense that officials had no choice but to call in the New Mexico National Guard. Images of guardsmen lined up outside the prison walls, ready to run in, were captured by local media. 

 

In the end, 33 inmates were killed, and 12 guards were badly beaten. 

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The BEYOND THE RIOT tour will take you behind the prison walls to give you a more intimate look at what happened on February 2, 1980. Part of the tour will include Cell Block 4, the scene of some of the most violent acts during the riot. 

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The tour will take place on Friday, April 10, 2026. This is a morning/afternoon event.  

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A ticket will cover your transportation to Santa Fe on the New Mexico Railrunner Express, which will give you a chance to take in a scenic ride through some of New Mexico's hidden gems between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. As part of the experience, after you disembark, a van will shuttle you to the prison where a tour guide will be waiting. 

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This tour will help set up one of the convention's speaking sessions that will be on Saturday, April 11, 2026. During that speaking session, you get to hear first-hand accounts of the riot that shook up America.