NCJ Number
141853
Journal
Journal of Prisoners on Prisons Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 29- 46
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The author's experiences in the Federal correctional facility in Marion, Illinois in 1972-74 and again in 1980 led to his conclusion that the correctional policies there are similar to those used by the government agents depicted by Franz Kafka in "The Trial" and by George Orwell.
Abstract
The Marion procedures were used in the former segregation unit, which was later labeled the Long Term Control Unit. Inmates were often summarily sentenced to indefinite terms in the Control Unit for no discernible reason. One inmate spent 5 years there. Most of Marion's correctional personnel believe that facility conditions are too luxurious, that harsh measures are needed, and that the Federal Bureau of Prisons is an exemplary system. However, the author's experiences in filing petitions to the court and in interactions with the Bureau of Prisons Disciplinary Committee lead him to conclude that prisoners' rights are being overlooked and that disciplinary measures are excessively strict. In 1984, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the author and other inmates, but the issues it raised were denied. The appellate court's 1988 decision to uphold the district court's ruling calls into question the existence of due process of law in the United States. Notes and 1 reference