lane ▁and ▁Pat ▁Mc Ge own , ▁he ▁made ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁escape ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁dressed ▁as ▁a ▁prison ▁w arden , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁caught ▁before ▁they ▁reached ▁the ▁prison ▁per imeter . ▁That ▁plan ▁having ▁failed ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁f ru ition , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁blank et ▁protest ▁in ▁the ▁Maz e ' s ▁H - Block s ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁he ▁helped ▁Br end an ▁Mc F ar lane , ▁Bobby ▁Store y ▁and ▁Ger ry ▁Kelly ▁to ▁orch est rate ▁the ▁successful ▁mass ▁escape ▁of ▁ 3 8 ▁republic an ▁prisoners ▁from ▁the ▁Maz e . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁prison ▁escape ▁in ▁British ▁pen al ▁history . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁BBC ▁document ary ▁about ▁the ▁escape , ▁Mar ley ▁was ▁the ▁master mind , ▁having ▁come ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁idea ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁embar rass ing ▁British ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er , ▁as ▁the ▁Maz e ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁secure ▁pr isons . ▁Mar ley , ▁unlike ▁his ▁three ▁co - con sp ir ators , ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁break - out ▁as ▁his ▁release ▁date ▁was ▁coming ▁up . ▁ ▁Mar ley ▁was ▁released ▁from ▁prison ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Ar do y ne . ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁master m inding ▁the ▁prison ▁escape , ▁Mar ley