NCJ Number
117223
Date Published
1987
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This report details the results of an Amnesty International investigation into allegations of ill-treatment by inmates of Marion Federal penitentiary in 1983.
Abstract
The allegations of ill-treatment arose following an inmate uprising and subsequent lockdown imposed by prison authorities. The prisoners alleging ill-treatment also filed a class action suit in 1984 in Federal District Court seeking to enjoin the use of excessive force by prison guards and to life certain prison practices and restrictions imposed as a part of the continuing lockdown of the prison. The investigation concluded that prison personnel habitually violated Marion penitentiary's standard minimum rules and recommended that an independent assessment be undertaken to determine whether the prison security system is necessary or whether it hampers inmate freedom unduly. Additionally, the report recommends that the Federal government create in the Federal Bureau of Prisons a permanent mechanism to assess Federal prison conditions as well as lockdown conditions at Marion penitentiary. Appendixes include correspondence between Amnesty International and U.S. government officials.