Programs and classes provided at Marion United States Penitentiary promote and encourage prisoners to engage in activities that foster personal growth and development. Opportunities such as work assignments, religious services, educational programs, vocational training, and counseling services are all available for prisoners to enhance themselves. Marion United States Penitentiary exclusively houses male offenders and currently accommodates a total inmate population of 1,339 individuals. Out of this population, 1,125 inmates are incarcerated at the penitentiary, while the remaining 214 are housed at the camp. The camp consists of a single dormitory that is divided into cubicles, each designed to accommodate 3-4 inmates. Additionally, the USP incorporates a disciplinary unit that comprises 67 individual cells. The main facility consists of 10 housing units for the general inmate population, including 136 three-person cells, 116 double-person cells, and 418 one-person cells. The two-man and three-man cells are both 81 square feet in size, while the single-man cells offer 56 square feet of living space. Situated in Marion, Williamson County, Illinois, the facility is enclosed by a double fence to ensure utmost security. Marion United States Penitentiary currently operates as a medium security prison and also houses a minimum security prison camp. A significant portion of the inmates held at Marion United States Penitentiary were transferred from Alcatraz, which shut down in the same year that USP Marion was established. Originally constructed to house the most dangerous prisoners, Marion United States Penitentiary commenced operations in 1963.
Due to the fact that there have been many notable incidents at Marion United States Penitentiary, a program was implemented where five inmates, including one who worked as an electrician, collaborated to open the main doors using an electronic device. Additionally, the electrician was able to use a remote control radio to turn the doors into a radio-controlled system. Eventually, all the escapees were recaptured. In 1978, there were two escape attempts involving inmates Trapnell, Brock, Garrett, and Oswald. In May 1978, Oswald demanded that pilot Ann Barbara, a friend of Trapnell, fly him to Marion USP. The pilot, Allen Barklage, was able to prevent the escape by landing the plane in the prison yard and shooting Oswald. Since the airport was only a few miles away from Marion USP, Oswald ordered Robin, Oswald’s daughter, to fly the pilot to the airport. Ultimately, the pilot complied due to Oswald’s threat to detonate dynamite on the plane. When the plane landed at the airport, hundreds of officers were present at the scene. Oswald then surrendered herself to the FBI, as the fake dynamite was discovered.
Over the course of 23 years, prisoners were confined to their cells for the majority of the day. In response to the stabbings, USP Marion implemented a permanent lockdown for the next two decades. Hoffman met his demise after intervening in Fountain’s assault on another officer. Hours later, Hoffmann was fatally stabbed by Clayton Fountain. On that fateful day, inmate Thomas Silverstein took Clutts’ life through stabbing. Both acts of homicide were carried out by members of the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist prison gang. Although the two incidents occurred separately, they happened within a few hours of each other. The murders of correctional officers Robert Hoffmann and Merle Clutts took place on October 22nd, 1983. Apart from multiple escape attempts, the prison has experienced even graver incidents in the past.