NCJ Number
103769
Date Published
1985
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This report by independent corrections consultants examines conditions at the maximum-security Federal penitentiary in Marion, Ohio, where inmates have been locked in their cells approximately 23 hours a day from October 27, 1983, to the date of the report, December 31, 1984.
Abstract
The Marion lockdown is the longest in the Bureau of Prisons' history. Marion officials have claimed that the lockdown is necessary to maintain order and the safety of inmates and staff. Others contend it has been unnecessarily harsh and that inmates have been denied many basic rights. There have been allegations of harassment and physical abuse by prison staff. To investigate these conflicting claims, two consultants visited the prison and reviewed relevant documents. Their report gives a brief history of the level-6 penitentiary at Marion and describes events leading up to and following the October 1983 lockdown. The consultants conclude that ending the lockdown immediately would result in serious acts of violence against staff and inmates. They do not recommend that the prison be operated at this level of control indefinitely and present long-term recommendations that include constructing a new generation maximum-security prison and decentralizing level-6 prison units. Areas addressed by short-term recommendations include ceasing body cavity searches without probable cause, developing graded units, establishing a mental health unit, facilitating inmate access to legal materials, and reducing staff stress.