The life of Strangeways riot ringleader Alan Lord | The Sun
THE Strangeways prison riot in 1990 is one of the most notorious incidents in British history.
The disruption broke out over poor living conditions, and almost 200 people were injured as a result. Here, we look at the life of one of the ringleaders, Alan Lord.
Who is Alan Lord?
Alan Lord was a former inmate at Strangeways prison in Manchester.
He was one of the ringleaders involved in the infamous Strangeways riot in 1990.
They lasted 25 days, from April 1 to April 25, 1990.
One prisoner was killed during the riot, and 147 prison officers and 47 prisoners were injured.
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The riot destroyed most of the building, which had to be rebuilt. It also inspired disturbances in other prisons in England and Wales.
When Lord was eventually captured by a snatch squad, it signalled the beginning of the end of the violence.
The resulting Woolf Report concluded that conditions in the prison had been intolerable, and recommended major reform of the UK prison system.
Where is Alan Lord now?
After turning his life around, Lord was released from prison in 2012.
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He opened a gym in his hometown of Radcliffe, Greater Manchester.
He wrote a book with his wife, Anita Armstrong, titled Life in Strangeways: From Riots to Redemption, My Thirty-Two Years Behind Bars in 2015.
How long did Alan Lord spend in prison?
Lord spent a total of 32 years in prison after being convicted of murder in 1981, when he was 18.
He was initially imprisoned for 15 years, but attempted escapes and altercations inside saw him incarcerated for over twice as long.
What has Alan Lord said about the Strangeways riots?
He explained to the Manchester Evening News in 2015 that the living conditions at the prison were unacceptable and they felt something needed to change.
He said: "Personally, I think it’s a tragedy that prisoners had to take that stance. But the warning signs had been there for decades.
"There were clear warnings within the prison system and without change what happened was inevitable."
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