State-employee victims reach proposed settlement in Attica riot

ALBANY, N.Y. Governor George Pataki has reached a 12 (m) million dollar settlement with the surviving state workers and the relatives of employees killed during the 1971 riot at Attica state prison.

That's according to a person in the administration who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A two (m) million dollar payment would be included in the settlement for the survivors' group, the Forgotten Victims of Attica. Another ten (m) million dollars would be allocated over the next five years to the state employees or their survivors involved in the riot.

An administration official says Pataki will include the proposal in the 2005-2006 executive budget the governor will propose to the state Legislature on Tuesday. It is subject to approval by state lawmakers.

They say the question of a state apology to the victims or of special access to state records accumulated during the investigation of the riot and its aftermath were still being worked out.

The Attica prison riot claimed the lives of 32 inmates and 11 hostages.