Marquette Branch Prison: Now I Believe I Know How It Felt

I am saying to you my friends that often the path to freedom will carry you through a prison, to sacrifice for another is the greatest thing in the whole wide world. In a real sense, the people are the conscience of America. We are its troubled souls, and we will continue to insist that right be done.

Now I believe I know how it felt to be a slave in Jamestown, Virginia during slavery. Now I believe I know how it felt to be black, when the commanders deployed K-9 dogs to attack you as marchers, who just want equal rights. Now I believe I know how it felt to be a Jew in Nazi Germany.

I am in Marquette Branch Prison, better known as the concentration camp, the weather is about -10 below zero, with a wind chill of about -40 below zero. This concentration camp must be in Siberia! No it is Marquette Michigan, with a deeply rooted, hidden, unrevealed, unskilled, unprofessional, uneducated, out-of-control group of rogue officers. The public, the tax payers, are paying the price of unchecked discretion. The major problem we face as prisoners is the threatening, harassing, and the intimidating behavior, which is basically white terrorism. It is up to the public, the tax payers, to stop the corruption and save tax dollars.

A correctional officer Sgt. Hoult stated: I don't talk to convicts. He forgot the prisoner is the reason he has a job. As a correctional officer you are just one step from being a convict yourself. One drink, one domestic assault, one murder, you are just one step from doing time yourself!

I received a letter from a tax-payer who lives in Marquette, Michigan. The public is waking up. She said: "I want to thank you so much for standing up to corruption inside Marquette Prison and for your bravery and courage inside the belly of the beast, to speak up and stand for Christ. You are a hero and you will be on our prayer list. I have for years believed that the prison system was in place to protect me, thanks to you and your wonderful work, you have educated the people in Marquette. My organization and the teacher union will be signing a resolution on your behalf. I just wish I could do more to help a wonderful man like you. We will be joining you to help close down the Marquette Branch Prison, also recruiting others to help with this project. I wish I could bring you a basket of good treats and encouragement. We the people of Marquette Michigan are in full support of your hard work. Thank-you." 

This was a tremendously heart warming letter. We must stop the Michigan Department of Corrections from stealing tax dollars from the tax-payers. The hypocrisy of Michigan Department of Corrections is unlimited.

Rev. Pinkney

Less Respect Than A Slave

A criminal freed from prison has scarcely more rights and arguably less respect than a freed slave or a black person living "free" in Mississippi at the height of Jim Crow. Those released from prison on parole can be stopped and searched by the police for any reason at all and returned to prison for the most minor of infractions, such as failing to attend a meeting with a parole officer. Even when released from the system's formal control, the stigma of criminality lingers. Police supervision, monitoring, and harassment are facts of life not only for all those labeled criminals, but for all those who look like criminals. Lynch mobs may be long gone, but you still have the all white lynch mob juries, and the threat of police violence is ever present. A wallet could be mistaken for a gun. The whites only sign may be gone, but new signs have gone up, notices placed in job applications, rental agreements, loan applications, forms for welfare benefits, school applications, and petitions for licenses, informing the general public that "felons" are not wanted here.

A criminal record today authorizes precisely the forms of discrimination we supposedly left behind. Discrimination in employment, housing, education, public benefits, and jury service. Those labeled criminals can even be denied the right to vote.

Convicts, it turns out, are the social group in America we have permission to hate. In colorblind America, criminals are the new whipping boys. They are entitled to no respect and little moral concern. Like colored or Blacks in the years following emancipation, criminals or convicts today are deemed a characterless and purposeless people, deserving of our collective scorn and contempt. When we say someone was "treated like a criminal" what we mean to say is that he or she was treated as less than human, like a shameful creature.

Hundreds of years ago, our nation put those considered less than human in shackles; less than one hundred years ago, we relegated them to the other side of town; today we put them in cages. Once released, they find that a heavy and cruel hand has been laid upon them.

Rev. Pinkney

Marquette Branch Prison: The Attack On Prisoners

There has been many incidents of attack on prisoners at the Marquette Branch Prison, very few ever get past the warden. The Marquette Branch Prison covers up for the correctional officers who commit crimes against prisoners. The most important question to be asked, who can you call for help?

On or around the 3rd of August 2015, Chester Pearson filed a grievance against Correctional Officer Schetter during the formal count at 3:40pm. Chester Pearson, an older man, was behind his door hanging up his towel, when Schetter was making his rounds. Correctional Officer Schetter observed Chester Pearson standing behind the door, after making eye contact with him, "he proceeded by opening my cell door and pushing it into me, hitting my hand against the wall, assaulting me," said Chester Pearson. Chester Pearson filed grievance number 1 against officer Schetter, it was handled by his Superior officer and good friend Sgt. Nississ, who supported Schetter. "Sgt. Nississ informed me that he was closing this matter and not to go any further with this complaint. I then wrote a letter to Lansing in protest of officer Schetter's Schetter behavior."

Prisoners must be protected from abuse of power. Correctional Officer Schetter and his friend Sgt. Nississ' conduct is unbecoming of a State of Michigan Correctional Officer. There has been so many complaints filed against Officer Schetter, assaults of all kinds which include sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, engaging or attempting to engage in sexual conduct and sexual harassment by touching a prisoner's penis. Several complaints have been filed against Correctional Officer Schetter by prisoners and Michigan Department of Corrections has swept it under the rug and attempted to blame the prisoners. All employees are expected to comply with department rules. Failure to do so should result in termination of their job with the Department of Corrections.

Whenever Officer Schetter broke a rule by sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct act by touching one's penis or whatever, he should be terminated and the acts should be reported to the State Police for prosecution. Any time he physically attacks a prisoner he should be held accountable for his actions, but that doesn't happen here in Marquette Branch Prison. One of the primary functions of Corrections is to enhance public safety and ensure just punishment for criminal behavior, but the warden refuses to enhance safety for prisoners at Marquette Branch Prison. We are living in the time when the tax payers must stand and fight for humanity. It is the time.

Rev. Pinkney

The Events Raced At Collision Speed: James Meredith The First Black To Enroll At The University Of Mississippi!

Soon the long wait was over, Doar McShane and James Meredith, who are attempting to enroll in the University of Mississippi. The very first black pushed their way through a jeering crowd of two thousand angry racist whites outside the Wolfolk Building, then up the elevator to the tenth floor and through another crowd in the corridor. The governor, Ross Barnett, bathed in television lights, blocked the threshold of Room 1007. Legislators inside climbed atop of chairs and tables to obtain a better view of the whole situation. John Doar moved forward to explain the Fifth Circuit's order to Governor Ross Barnett, television and radio stations transmitted the confrontation to Mississippians across the state. Gov. Ross Barnett "interposed Mississippi's sovereignty" as embodied in his own prison between James Meredith and the University of Mississippi officials, who maintained an outward willingness to obey the order.

Which one is James Meredith, Barnett inquired sparking titters of laughter as the familiar and well-known James Meredith standing in front of Gov. Barnett, was the only black in sight.

Gov. Ross Barnett read James Meredith, the very first black to enter the University of Mississippi, his second proclamation of interposition ending that he did here by finally deny you admission to the University of Mississippi.

The white racist of over ten thousand yells went up from the crowds gathered around transistor radios ten floors up below. When Gov. Barnett refused to allow John Doar from the Justice Department request to enter some legislator changed, "get going", "Get Going"! Three cheers for the Governor. They hooted the Meredith trio along its path of retreat, then the Governor filed back to his chamber in triumph. One state senator hailed Gov. Barnett's stand as the most brilliant piece of statesmanship ever displayed in Mississippi. Another stated it was the most racist display of power ever displayed in the country.

In New Orleans, on Friday a fifth circuit panel tried Governor Ross Barnett, the governor of the state of Mississippi, in absentia and found him guilty of contempt. Lieutenant Governor Johnson promptly received the very same sentence. The very first time a sitting governor was going to be arrested. The three panel judges sentenced both to indefinite prison terms. I, the Rev. Edward Pinkney, commended James Meredith for courage and intelligent in seeking to enroll at the Unversity of Mississippi. I want to thank James Meredith for what he has done!

Rev. Pinkney

Marquette Branch Prison Does Not Follow Its Own Rules

Marquette Branch Prison is a concentration camp; a place where prisoners from various areas are assembled and confined. The Michigan Department of Corrections says: you have been placed into reduced custody because the state feels that you are an irresponsible individual who no longer needs confinement behind a single wall or fence-you need two! The Michigan Department of Corrections says: serving time in a reduced security setting is much different from being in a regular prison. There is no freedom, over 100 cameras, and the threatening, harassing, and intimidating behavior is out of control by the Marquette Prison Corrections officers, namely Schetter and Luekkala.

It is unfortunate that the correctional officers cover up for each other rather than follow the Department of Correction's rules. On Jan. 2, 2016, one of the officers, Schetter's friend, was working the north dorm unit. I personally overheard officer Schetter tell officer Sare to find a reason to give Pinkney a misconduct ticket. This was a retaliation ticket. This again highlights Marquette's untrained, unskilled, unprofessional, uneducated, and out of control corrections officers. This correctional officer has had several people charge him with sexual misconduct, assault, and violation of many other Michigan Department of Corrections' rules and policies. The warden, Robert Napel, and the administrative staff cover up for him. I have filed 4 threatening, harassing, and intimidating complaints with warden Robert Napel about correctional officer Schetter. The grievance process is a fraud, but you must file to get into the Court's queue. The Marquette Branch Prison is known for attacking the Black prisoners.

The correctional officers are out of control. They are allowed to attack prisoners, retaliate against prisoners, harass prisoners, and intimidate prisoners. The worst can happen, they are transferred to another unit, but can return to the same unit every day and continue to harass the prisoners.

It is illegal to bring any tobacco product onto State of Michigan property. Several correctional officers bring chewing tobacco and chew on state property. They bring in cigarettes, some of the prisoners have cigarettes and smoke inside the prison. I can list several items that could save the tax payers over 5 million dollars. The public must stop watching Law & Order, Cops, Blue Shield, NCIS, CSI, Perry Mason and start facing reality. The Department of Corrections is stealing tax payer dollars. This will continue until the tax payers say no more. We need the people to take a stand against corruption and fight back. The tax payer must say enough is enough.

Rev. Pinkney