Marine Corps Brig, Quantico
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Marine Corps Brig, Quantico was a Level I facility
military prison A military prison is a prison operated by a military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, unlawful combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members o ...
operated at
Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...
in
Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...
from 1972 until December 31, 2011. The building was located in eastern Stafford County, south of the base headquarters. By definition, Level I means that it "provide pretrial and short-term posttrial confinement support. Level I confinement facilities are generally limited to 90 or fewer days. When necessary, Level I facilities may confine prisoners more than 90 days, but not to exceed 1 year." Unlike Regional corrections facilities, counseling support for military prisoners is limited. In practice, the facility could house approximately 120–150 inmates in living arrangements ranging from squadbays (for the general population) to Special Quarters 2, which is effectively solitary confinement. The facility was used primarily as a place to temporarily harbor inmates awaiting transfer to longer term facilities, such as the
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at
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,
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. Security included a single chain-link fence about 20 feet high with razor wire, cameras, and guards. Guards were divided into three sections, composed of
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and
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personnel in ranks from E-1 to E-6/7. In addition to security personnel, the Brig had a small administration staff including medical personnel and civilian cooks who worked with inmates to prepare meals. The Brig also offered a small library and chapel for weekly services. The Pretrial Confinement Facility at MCB Quantico was permanently closed on December 31, 2011, as part of cost-cutting measures recommended by the
2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...
. Prisoners awaiting trial will be held instead at a regional military correctional facility in
Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 92nd-most populous city in the ...
. The building was demolished by May 2013 at a cost of $590,264.


Notable prisoners

Over the years, there were some prominent inmates at the Brig, including
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, a would-be presidential assassin, Clayton J. Lonetree, the Marine Security Guard who provided classified information to the KGB while stationed at the U.S. Embassy, Moscow from 1984 to 1986, and
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, largely credited with introducing crack cocaine into the Washington, D.C., area. After
Chelsea Manning Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning, December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower. She is a former United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage ...
(convicted in 2013 of leaking
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to
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, including the 250,000 diplomatic cables, video of the July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike, and footage of the Granai airstrike) was transferred to Quantico in July 2010, numerous allegations of abuse arose, including isolation, the use of maximum-security custody and suicide watch for punitive reasons, and other non-violent harassment by the guards, such as forced nudity. Though military officials denied abuse (including an incident where State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley was forced to resign), the
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group
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threatened to disrupt activities at Quantico by cyber-attacking communications, exposing private information about personnel, and other harassment. Dubbed "Operation Bradical", spokesperson Barrett Brown stated that this would be in direct response for the alleged mistreatment. Military spokespersons responded that the threat was referred to law enforcement and counter-terrorism officials for investigation.


See also

* List of U.S. military prisons


References


External links


Brig
Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...
{{coord, 38, 29, 24, N, 77, 18, 58, W, scale:10000, display=title Defunct prisons in Virginia Buildings and structures in Stafford County, Virginia United States Marine Corps bases Quantico, Virginia 1972 establishments in Virginia 2011 disestablishments in Virginia Buildings and structures demolished in 2013