To protect and serve. To keep people safe. To defendthecore values of Honor,Courageand Commitment. These desires connect all who choose toserve in U.S. Marine Corps law enforcement.
Brig personnel fall under the Marine Corps’ law enforcement umbrella, alongside the Provost Marshal’s Office and military working dog handlers.
Most people’s idea of a military police officer is the Provost Marshal’s Office Marines out on the road maintaining good order and discipline. On the other side of the coin, Marines working at the brig fulfill the same relentless duty to our installation. However, a lack of knowledge and public awareness leaves their contributions in the shadows.
Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Regional Brig is a Level 1 confinement facility. It serves as a place of confinement for male pre-trial and post-trial prisoners serving a sentence of up to one year. The MCIEAST Regional Brig ensures the safety, security, good order and discipline of all prisoners, and provides core correctional programs which include: recreation, individual and group counseling, work, incentive programs, life skills and religious programming. Prisoners sentenced to more than one year are transported to an appropriate Department of War confinement facility. The brig has a capacity of 75 male prisoners and only temporarily holds female prisoners before transporting them to an appropriate facility.
The MCIEAST Regional Brigis a continuous, 24/7 operated facility including on all holidays and during all weather conditions. Itis organized into four platoons, with two platoons on day shift and two platoons on night shift in rotating increments of three months.
Any commissioned officer with authority to confine may sign a confinement order placing an enlisted person in pre-trial or post-trial confinement if awarded or imposed as result of a court-martial. Pre-trial confinement is imposed either to ensure the accused is present at trial or to avoid future serious criminal misconduct of the accused facing major charges. Pre-trial confinement prisoners are distinguished by the wear of blue jumpsuits as opposed to the orange ones worn by post-trial confinement prisoners.
The brig functions not only to separate offenders from the public and to enforce disciplinary action but also to prevent repeat offenders and provide opportunities for rehabilitation. The facility holds a library, visitation room, outdoor exercise court and machines, and regularly provides classes and programs, such as sexual assault prevention, anger management and self-development training. These classes support prisoners in better understanding their emotions, reflecting on past decisions and developing healthy strategies for processing those emotions.
What enables the brig to serve this role isn’t just the brick and mortar, but the Marines who work there every day.
Cpl. Jonathan Diaz, a facilities escort, joined the MCIEAST Regional Brig in 2023. He described how public knowledge of the brig is very little, to include the misconception that they carry weapons, that prisoners break rocks all day, and simply that many don’t know the brig exists at all.
“They think that because we wear the shield, we’re the ones driving around who pulled them over before, which is not the case. They mix us up,” said Diaz.
Not only is the location of work different, but the culture can be surprising. Calling the work atmosphere “strict” is an understatement. The “little things” imparted into Marines in boot camp are all still expected. The proper greeting of the day to everyone who walks in the door may seem extra to some, but these little acts of discipline are precisely what enables the brig to perform higher order objectives.
“Complacency is not an option,” Cpl. Zianna Alexander, facilities escort, stated. “You will notice we take Marine Corps etiquette, customs and courtesies seriously.”
Brig Marines are not just projecting an image to their peers, juniors or higher ups, but they are constantly setting the example for all of the prisoners.
There are many traits Marines must learn to stay afloat at the brig. They must be decisive, confident and resilient, using good judgement with limited sleep. These traits are vital to upholding Marine Corps’ values amid serious violations of military law. Marines also face challenges such as the unpredictability of prisoners, demanding schedules, detailed report writing and maintaining training requirements on top of normal operations.
“Learning to lead as a private, Pfc. or lance corporal immediately out the gate, you’re thrown into the fire,” said Cpl. Francisco Zamoracampuzano, a correction and detention specialist. This allows brig Marines to learn more in a short period of time than other might learn in years. This illuminates the traits they may not have even known about themselves and shows their true character.
Lance Cpl. Benjamin Gonzalezvaldez, a supply chain and material specialist attached to the brig, holds the responsibility of maintaining the stock of uniforms and materials for the prisoners, as well as office and operational supplies used by the brig Marines day-to-day. He comments on the soft skills that have been imprinted in him from working at the brig.
“Conflict resolution and de-escalation is a big one,” said Gonzalezvaldez. “Communication; knowing words have real meaning.”
The brig has held service members from every rank, from private to colonel. Whether they used to be a lance corporal or a lieutenant colonel before conviction as a prisoner, they’re all treated the same and must render obedience to Marines of all ranks, including the most junior.
Lance Cpl. Mayli Motter, a facilities escort at the brig, recounts how she reacted upon receiving her military occupational specialty as a corrections specialist.
“I was a very anxious and shy person, and when I first got to the brig, I was honestly really scared,” Motter said.
Throughout most of the day, the prisoners are not confined to their cell. They are out in the open floor area together with the duty brig Marines and are without restraints. The Marines stated how this environment can be daunting at times, especially for women.
According to Motter, she had to learn to “be very observant of every little reaction and action and take note of how she could garner the most disciplinary response” from the prisoners due to female Marines sometimes being given less respect and obedience.
The female Marines have objective limitations in their job due to the lack of female inmates. They cannot conduct strip searches or be present for head calls for male prisoners, two necessary duties which require utmost focus in preventing common inmate tactics. Therefore, in order to excel and grow, they typically take on additional roles and responsibilities to balance efforts as much as possible.
Motter felt like there was more she could do to help out the team and pursued additional roles and responsibilities. As such, she’s performed multiple billets and duties typically associated with Marines at least one rank above her. For example, the intake and release of prisoners. It is an extreme weight in your hands to not mess up and send a prisoner free who should not be. You are the last pen swipe between this prisoner, and the door leading to the outside world. Leadership needs to know they can trust you without a doubt and without error. Since her arrival, Motter’s growth has resulted in commendation and trust from her leaders.
“Most corrections specialists will go with the flow, do what they can and get out of the MOS after their first enlistment,” said Gunnery Sgt. Cody Sieracki, Prisoner Administrative Department of the MCIEAST Regional Brig. “However, Lance Cpl. Motter has taken it upon herself to push forward and get qualifications that are extremely difficult and time consuming. Marines like her are highly sought out and deserve recognition.”
The overall quality that makes brig Marines shine is “confidence,” Zamora said. It’s what he considers the most important thing he’s gained since joining and what won him a meritorious board.
Further, he stated, “the brig has set up my future, and it’s given me every attribute I need to succeed,” Zamora said.
The others added their own personal reflections on working at the brig.
“You get a unique outlook,” Diaz said. “The leadership opportunity is like nothing else. We’re always looking out for each other. It’s what keeps me going.”
“Coming from a supply unit, I didn’t know anything. At first, I was mad and confused. Over time, I learned that I don’t regret anything… We’re like one big tight-knit family now,” Gonzalezvaldez said.
Zamora then recounted a story that illustrates the deep bond within the brig.
“One time, a Marine who had gotten out of the Marine Corps over a year ago ordered us pizza one Christmas to the brig,” Zamora said with a smile on his face. “He had been out for that long and was still thinking about the tired Marines who were standing duty in the middle of the night."
The Marine’s long-term career goals and off-duty education goals are always kept in mind and heavily encouraged by leadership. The culture creates leaders out of every link in the chain, down to their most junior enlisted.
The brig also helps the base as a whole through regular volunteering, filling sandbags, helping with working parties, base cleanups and help during hurricane season. They’ve been able to take off the load from other units, give the prisoners more activities and positive contributions to spend their time, and give the brig another higher purpose.
Overall, the brig is vital to keeping MCB Camp Lejeune safe and defending the values that make the Marine Corps the finest fighting force in the world.
It’s an undoubtedly strenuous job, but the Marines feel they are here “doing what needs to be done because someone has to.”
“Ultimately, it’s knowing that we did everything we could to prevent a reoffender,” Sieracki said. “Years down the line, when that prisoner has completed his sentence and lives in a neighborhood near you or your family, I want to be able to sleep soundly knowing I gave my best to those prisoners to help them from reoffending.”