Stockade (play)

Stockade is a 1954 play by American playwright Loring Mandel. The play is a historical drama centered on the 1953 prisoner uprising at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey. It explores themes of prison reform, the psychological effects of incarceration, and the relationship between prisoners and correctional officers.

The play portrays the conditions that led to the riot, highlighting issues of overcrowding, inadequate resources, and the often brutal treatment of inmates. Stockade examines the motivations of the prisoners involved, portraying them as complex individuals driven to desperate measures by their circumstances rather than simply as inherently violent criminals. It also presents the perspectives of the prison guards, showing the pressures and dilemmas they face in maintaining order and control.

While a fictionalized account, Stockade was based on extensive research into the actual Trenton prison riot. The play aimed to raise public awareness about the need for penal reform and to promote a more humane approach to incarceration.