Marion Prison History

In 1963, when San Francisco’s notorious Alcatraz Prison shut its doors for the last time, the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois opened theirs. It was built to replace the isolated prison after expenses were exceeded and the institution became a financial burden. Although not as popular, the Marion prison continued to hold some of Alcatraz’s most famous prisoners and even contains reused materials from it. Marion Penitentiary has transformed throughout the years, evolving from its unique history and varies levels of security. From learned mistakes to successful programs, the Marion prison continues to be a functioning prison today that I fortuitously had the chance to visit. Marion was originally constructed to hold 500 adult male felons who were difficult to control from Alcatraz ("From Alcatraz to Marion to Florence - Control Unit Prisons in the United States."). However, Alcatraz's prisoners were not transferred directly to Marion. It was decided that they wanted to test out the new facility before sending the most politicized prisoners there because the move might trigger a weighty protest. It was not until the late
Entering the prison, one would never know of the tales that lie within its walls without extensive research beforehand. From supermax to medium security, and lockdowns to prison camps, Marion Penitentiary has experienced it all. Each year that it’s offered, I will continue to go back and learn as much as I can before graduating and eventually applying the knowledge to my career. What is seen as an old building holding bad people to others, is a museum comprising of individuals that are building character to be given a second chance in the future, to me. Marion Penitentiary is a historical facility that has expanded structural and programming wise to accommodate its prisoners and continues to reshape America’s