For the past two years Lakeland Correctional Facility has been making construction improvements which have been approved by Lansing. Think about this, with all of these improvements that have been going on, the warden's forum constantly gets shut down for anything that would help the prisoners.
We have a very small visiting room, by this administration's estimate, 20-25 seats holding only 40 people for a facility with over 1400 prisoners. The administration states that it would be too costly to expand and quotes us an outrageous figure that the warden knows that Lansing would never approve.
If we do a fundraiser we must give the city of Coldwater, Michigan, 25% of the money.
We are asking for your help to put some real outside pressure on this administration. When this facility opened up, it was designed to hold a little over 700 inmates. Since then the population has doubled in size to over 1,400 prisoners.
New windows and fire alarm systems have been installed to all the housing units on the east side of the facility, costing over $2 million and still counting. Numerous concrete projects have been added to all westside units including eastside recreation entrances (including sidewalks to keep the deputy warden's heels from sinking in the mud).
The deputy's suite is getting construction improvements as well as a private 240 foot concrete walkway for the administration to use. Over $5 million has been spent at Lakeland Correctional Facility and the facility is scheduled to be torn town.
It is difficult to make sense of all these “improvements,” when our family and loved ones come up to see us and are constantly reminded by staff that their visit may be terminated per policy if there is overcrowding. This is very discouraging to our loved ones (who pay taxes and pay their salaries). I am asking for your help to make our concerns heard, spread the word.
We cannot allow the corrupt Department of Corrections to continue to misuse the taxpayers' money. We need the help of the people. The hypocrisy has no limits inside the Department of Corrections.
-Rev. Edward Pinkney