NCJ Number
94415
Journal
National Centurion Volume: 2 Issue: 5 Dated: (June 1984) Pages: 46-48,54,56,61
Date Published
1984
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Ill., the Nation's highest security Federal prison.
Abstract
Gang members, escape artists, and prison killers made up a large portion of the 315 men held at Marion at the beginning of 1984. Until very recently, prisoners spent virtually all of their time in their cells and cellblocks, with no work, no vocational training, no organized cultural pursuit, no recreation, and no rehabilitation. About a third of these prisoners are serving sentences in excess of 70 years. The penitentiary is a concrete block structure surrounded by 1,000 acres of flat, treeless, empty space. Most inmates leave Marion for other State and Federal prisons, based chiefly on their prison disciplinary records, escape attempts and sentence length, and the nature of the original crime. The average stay at Marion is 4 to 5 years. Prison organization centers around 5 two-tiered, 72-cell general population blocks separated by solid doors from corridors leading to the control center. At the end of one corridor is the control unit; at the end of another are the idle vocational training and industry areas. Cellblock staff includes one manager, one counselor, and one caseworker for every two blocks and a separate team for the control unit. Segregation cells house men sentenced up to a maximum of 60 days per incident for major infractions. Control unit inmates remain in their cells at all times except for a daily shower and an hour or more of daily recreation. These inmates must wear handcuffs any time they are moved from their cells. An inmate will end up in the control unit only following a special hearing process. The average stay is 2 to 3 years. Inmates in this unit are usually guilty of planning to kill staff, assaulting staff, killing an inmate, planning an escape through use of force, extreme disruptive conduct, taking a hostage, or killing staff. Most criticism of Marion centers on the control unit, which is characterized as repressive.