ABSTRACT
The?1980s and 1990s were a largely bleak period for the prison movement. Central to this downturn was the splintering of the elements that had made the movement a potent force in US society. The movement declined but did not disappear. Exacerbating divisions amongst those in the prison movement had been a longstanding response of state officials, but amidst this moment of increased repression, this response would have more serious consequences. The guard killings occurred on October 22, 1983, and the ensuing lockdown would continue for the next 23 years. While similar moments of turmoil had prompted prison lockdowns for a given period of time, the Marion lockdown was designed to be prolonged and open-ended. The increasing reliance of federal officials on ever more repressive techniques to manage and contain prisoners was emblematic of a broader shift taking place within the nation's prisons and jails.
