Lockdown at Marion Prison Deepens After Officer Losses
Tim Landis details a 1983 to 1984 lockdown at Marion Federal Penitentiary, where inmates are confined to one-man cells for 23 hours daily after a series of inmate deaths and assaults. He notes the deaths of guards Hoffmann and Clutts, the stabbing of Callison, and rival gang tensions tied to the Aryan Brotherhood, shaping a prolonged security regime.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tim Landis
Nmate
Lavon Pyles
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Norman Carlson
Dallas
Carlson
Pyles
U.S. Penitentiary
Marion
Merle Clutts
Robert Hoffmann Sr
Jack Callison
Bureau of Prisons
Hoffman
Clutts
Callison
Raymond ‘‘Cadillac
Smith
Marion’s
D.C
Aryan Brotherhood
Joe Ortega
Gregory Keefer
Guards Fear Lockdown at Marion After Prisoner War Threats
Warnings of an impending gang war between Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, and the DC Blacks followed the Hoffmann Clutts and Callison deaths at Marion. A guard says Warden Harold Miller let the prison slip from control as understaffing and low morale preceded a state of emergency and a mass lockdown.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bers
Marion
P.W. Keohane
Smith
Aryan Brotherhood
D.C
Keohane
Federal
Memphis, Tenn
Hoffmann, Clutts and Callison
Harold Miller
Miller
Williford
Marion Ohio Prison Lockdown Timeline 1982 84 Leads to Warden Change
A detailed chronology recounts assaults on officers at Marion Prison in 1982 including Merle Clutts and Robert Hoffmann. Inmate murders and stabbings recur, events trigger mass lockdowns, cell shakedowns, and deployments of dozens more officers. By 1984 a new warden is appointed amid a pending class action.
Marion prison series probes the nations toughest inmates
A four reporter task force spends months examining life at the U S Penitentiary at Marion in a two week series titled Marion The New Alcatraz running through April 14 The project covers lockdown gangs violence and the evolution of Marion into a more repressive facility with a harsher inmate population Norman Carlson head of the Bureau of Prisons weighs in while inmates guards and officials discuss the impact on the region death penalty and parole board views emerge as pivotal themes
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
U.S. Penitentiary
Marion
Alcatraz
Tim Landis
U.S
Leavenworth
Kan
Landis
Nancy Weil
Cathy Monroe
Washington, D.C
Norman Carlson
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Ann Schottman
Mike Chamness
Metro
How Marion compares to Alcatraz The philosophy that propels Marion
A concise look at how Marion model prison ideas and security principles stack up against Alcatraz. The piece contrasts historical inmate management, architectural design, and containment strategies while noting enduring debates over punishment and reform.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marion
Alcatraz
National threat seen In acid rain across the West
Acid rain emerges as a national issue in the Rocky Mountain states due to sulfur dioxide from regional smelters. Research links high mountain lake acidity and reduced visibility in parks to West Coast and Mexican emissions, with concerns about federal air standards and new industry barriers. Phelps Dodge’s Douglas Arizona smelter is cited as the largest U S sulfur dioxide source at about 950 tons daily.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Times
Denver
Northeast
Canada
Rocky Mountain States
Rockies
Gus Speth
World Resources Institute
West
Washington
New Mexico
Arizona
Mexico
U.S
Douglas
Ariz
Phelps Dodge Corp
Power play by Don Levener Illinois electricity study stirs debate
The IPAC study says Illinois customers paid 54.23 for 500 kilowatts in August 1984, the highest in eight Midwest states, but the figure is inflated by Commonwealth Edison’s large customer base. The Illinois findings contrast with Iowa’s lower costs and Michigan’s much lower charges, highlighting weighting issues and regional variation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Don Levener
Springfield
Illinois
Good Morning CCHS speech team wins state championship
Good Morning CCHS speech team wins state championship. Carbondale Community High School’s 10 member group interpretation team, coached by Karen Mitchell, claimed first place among 12 entrants at Millikin University in Decatur, marking the first Southern Illinois victory in this category. Shepherd High School of Pay Heights finished second. Members include Crandle Brantlog Alban Dennis Robert Goodwin Pidge Meade Amy Peterson Mark Sanders Anna Stauber Paul Wesselmann Robin Cline Amy Isbell.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
CCHS
Carbondale Community High School
Karen Mitchell
Millikin University
Decatur
Southern Illinois
Robert Goodwin
Pidge Meade
Amy Peterson
Mark Sanders
Anna Stauber
Paul Wesselmann
Robin Cline
Amy Isbell
Also Mentioned on This Page
Jerry Williford
Terminal Island
Calif
United States
U.S. Penitentiary At
Sion
Weil
Greenfield
Mass
Shepherd High School of
Pay Heights
Crandle Brantlog
Alban Dennis
Ann Landers
Landers
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!