Mark W. Michael Unit
| Location | 2664 FM 2054 Tennessee Colony, Texas 75886 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°47′39″N 95°54′12″W / 31.7942667°N 095.9034500°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | G1-G5, Administrative Segregation, Outside Trusty, Safekeeping |
| Capacity | Unit: 2,984 Trusty Camp: 321 |
| Opened | September 1987 |
| Managed by | TDCJ Correctional Institutions Division |
| Warden | Veronica Lilly |
| County | Anderson County |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
The Mark W. Michael Unit (MI) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice men's prison located in unincorporated Anderson County, Texas.[1] The unit is along Farm to Market Road 2054, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Tennessee Colony. The unit, on 20,518 acres (8,303 ha) of land, is co-located with the Beto, Coffield, and Powledge prison units and the Gurney Transfer Unit.[2] The unit is in proximity to Palestine and the Rusk ironworks,[3] and it is in about a one-hour driving distance from Dallas.[4]
The Michael Unit opened in September 1987.[2] Texas officials referred to the facility as "model for the future."[5] Robert Perkinson, author of Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire, described Michael as "one of the meanest lockups" in Texas.[6]
Operations
Michael was one of the first prisons to no longer use the "telephone-pole" layout,[7] which has central pickets with dead-end cell blocks extending from them.[8] The telephone-pole layout, while inexpensive to build, is difficult to police without building tenders, convicts paid to police other convicts. Instead Michael uses a modular pod design, which allows for riot control and visual surveillance. Most pods have double-bunk, reinforced concrete cells with security features such as slit windows and bolted-down metal toilets. Some pods have dormitories.[7] Michael was one of several new prisons to have the ability to have many prisoners in extended lockdowns.[3] State officials said that Michael's features allowing for extended lockdowns of prisoners were modeled on the United States Penitentiary, Marion.[7]
Notable prisoners
Current:
| Inmate Name | Register Number | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Miles | 07462349 / 02150490 | Serving a life sentence without parole. | Perpetrator of the 2015 Murder of Darren Goforth, in which Miles killed him at a gas station.[9][10][11] |
| Matt Baker | 01634552 | Serving a 65-year sentence. | Former pastor who murdered his wife Kari Baker.[12][13] |
Former:
- Richard Acosta Jr. - One of the perpetrators of the 2021 Garland Shooting serving life without parole. Currently incarcerated at Telford Unit
- Michael Morton - Exonerated of the crime which he was convicted of. He was transferred to Michael after obtaining his master's degree.[14]
- Steven Jay Russell[15] - The prisoner is a character in the film I Love You Phillip Morris
- Elmer Wayne Henley[4][16]
References
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Anderson County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 17 (PDF p. 18/41). Retrieved 2022-08-14.
Mark W Michael Unit
- ^ a b "Michael Unit Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.
- ^ a b Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.
- ^ a b Rhor, Monica. "Serial killer wrestles with his crimes." Fox News. Sunday June 8, 2008. Retrieved on December 12, 2010. "Henley, who turned 52 in May, sits behind a glass divider in the visiting room at the Michael Unit, a Texas prison set amid cow pastures and sprawling ranches about an hour south of Dallas."
- ^ Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. p. 314-315. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.
- ^ Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.
- ^ a b c Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.
- ^ Perkinson, Robert. Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire. First Edition. Metropolitan Books, 2010. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-8050-8069-8.
- ^ "Texas Deputy Slaying: Suspect Shannon Miles Charged in Killing of Darren Goforth". NBC News. 2015-08-30. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Man Pleads Guilty To Killing Texas Deputy At Gas Station - CBS Texas". www.cbsnews.com. 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Shannon Miles gets life in prison for murder of Deputy Goforth". KPRC. 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ https://abcnews.go.com/US/wacos-beloved-minister-after-20-years-claims-guilty/story?id=119811804
- ^ https://inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/viewDetail.action?sid=08036627
- ^ Colloff, Pamela (December 2012). "The Innocent Man, Part Two". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ^ Day, Elizabeth. "I love you Phillip Morris: a conman's story." The Observer. Sunday September 6, 2009. Retrieved on December 10, 2010.
- ^ "Henley, Elmer Wayne Jr" (Archive). Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on December 28, 2015.