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Committee to End the Marion Lockdown

The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML) was a movement organization that opposed control unit prisons in particular, and racism and oppression in general. It was founded in 1985 and came to a close in 2000. Over the course of those 15 years, CEML led and organized hundreds of educational programs and demonstrations in many parts of the country and tried to build a national movement against “end-of-the-line” prisons. Along the way the Committee wrote thousands of pages of educational and agitational literature and pioneered new ways of analyzing and fighting against this national quagmire that morphed into the proliferation of the “prison industrial complex.”

Collection includes: Publications on their efforts to shut down the Marion Prison control unit, prevent the opening of USP Florence, CO; protests against toxic water at Crab Orchard Lake; efforts to improve conditions for inmates; efforts to stop the proliferation of Control Units in general; and further human rights and social justice in the US prison system.

Kurshan, N. (2012). OUT OF CONTROL: A Chronological Narrative of the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown's 15 Year Struggle (manuscript ed., p. 1).

Documents

[File of materials from Yasutake delegation to D.C.] [File of materials from Yasutake delegation to D.C.]
Authors: Vicki Legion, S. Michael YasutakePublisher: Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience; Committee to End the Marion Lockdown; American Civil Liberties UnionYear: 1990Format: CompilationCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
File of collected materials pertaining to the Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience delegation to the Bureau of Prisons. Enclosures: Cover Page: Note to Steve Whitman from Vicki Legion; 4/19/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; 5/1/1990 Press Release; 5/4/1990 Statement for Rally re: Federal Penitentiary Marion, Illinois; 5/4/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; 5/18/1990 A Report on the Visit to the Bureau of Prisons and the DC Detention Center; 5/17/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; Flewellen, Fine, Yasutake at Congressmen Kastenmeier's office (Graphic); Thornell and Flewellen delivering petitions to BOP; Photograph by D'Auteuil Robideau.
Mailing to Dir. Quinlan Mailing to Dir. Quinlan
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: CompilationCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
3/20/1990 Mailing to J Michael Quinlan regarding toxic water supply at USP Marion. Letter in response to CEML petition concerning the quality of water being supplied to USP Marion. States new water supply will be available in 18 months. Includes news articles - see 3.newspaper.articles.may.demonstration.1990.pdf
Letter of Thanks; Pickets Protest Marion Lockdown; Report on the April 29 Demonstration Letter of Thanks; Pickets Protest Marion Lockdown; Report on the April 29 Demonstration
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1989Format: CompilationCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter to Friend giving thanks for support of the 4/29/1989 demonstration; Graphic of protest reproduced from Southern Illinoisan 4/30/1989 taken by Jan Abbott; Report on the demonstration. 1 copy does not include graphic or CEML letterhead.
Court Considers Contamination; Letter to Friends Court Considers Contamination; Letter to Friends
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1988Format: CompilationCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article regarding 4/21/1988 hearing regarding USP Marion lawsuit; Letter to friends regarding transcript of October 1987 tribunal.