Michigan Corrections, Corruption, Corrected!The fact is, as a resident and taxpayer of Michigan; it costs you approximately $218,032 for prisoner, parolee and probationer per year to house them. According to the Associated Press, as of August 15 2003 Michigan corrections had 48,687 prisoners, another 16,421 on parole and 5,689 on probation. That’s 70,797 correctional individuals at a cost of a $1.7 billion dollar budget as of October 1st 2003. 1.7 billion dollars divided by 70,797 equates to $218,032 per inmate, parolee and probationer. Within Michigan’s most expensive agency as a matter of fact and supported by documentation and witness testimony you are subjecting your weekly paycheck to paying for Wardens coming to work at the prison state property and drinking alcoholic beverages while at work on prison properties. You are paying for prison officials involved in supporting drug rings within the confines of prison walls. You’re paying for organized “hits” murders of prisoners and prison employees by prison officials. You as a taxpayer are paying for rape and forced entry of female employees by their superior officials and male prisoners. You are paying for corrupt and calculated investigations by prison officials and union officials of innocent prisoners and prison employees. You are paying for physical assaults and illegal discrimination and intimidation by prison officials towards prisoners and prison employee’s everyday costing Michigan taxpayer $1.7 billion dollar per year in addition to legal fees and court awards. This is obviously not an exhaustive list: furthermore; it is costing Michigan taxpayers in a the millions to house nonviolent offenders for life sentences, yet known murders, rapists and child molesters have been released back into your neighborhood by Michigan prison officials. Prison employees are consistently threatened with death when they testify in court against prison officials. Prisoners are threatened denial of parole if they do not support corrupt and manipulating prison Wardens to “setup” prison employees who have filed legitimate union grievances while union officials do nothing to support the employee and union member. In Michigan the Michigan Department of Corrections deputy director can beat his wife bloody in a public place and go unscathed of any discipline or removal from the second highest position of the corrections agency; what an example for corrections employees and prisoners. Assistant Deputy Wardens (Terri Huffman) can defraud local businesses within their communities and not be discipline. Lieut. can be found in violation of several felonies yet promoted to parole officer. The Michigan governor’s wife sat at a nonprofit commission seat and Michelle Engler was found to having a web site in which she was selling used computer equipment throughout the nation to nonprofit organization. Gov. John Engler had an executive order in which no state equipment less than $5000 would be inventoried leaving it wide-open for a tremendous computer supply source for Michelle Engler’s business for profit at a cost of Michigan taxpayer. John Engler mandated that all state agencies and schools buy from E.D.S. and Dell computers, outside the proper bid process, costing the Michigan taxpayers millions in excess of costs. Then when Gov. John Engler term-limits out of Michigan he is then hired by E.D.S. as a sales person. Talk about prima fascia and RICO violations. Why is it that Michigan Department of Corrections executive personnel can threaten and intimidate TV news anchors and newspaper reporters when disclosing the corruption and fraud within the state? Why is it that the Gov. of Michigan can threatened state agency directors with severe budget cuts if they don’t “play ball” with the ”Good Ol’ Boy” system, literally making it impossible to exercise their job. Why is it that the state of Michigan went from having $1 billion “rainy day fund” under Gov. John Engler then at the end of his term limits and after failing to “deliver” Michigan to George W. Bush’s run for president, Michigan ends up with a $900 million dollar deficit? Why is it that the Gov. of Michigan can threaten and fire judges who do not do their beck and call? Why is it that John Engler was empowered to threatened law attorneys who accepted workers compensation cases against the Gov. himself and plaintiff’s employment at the government’s mansion? Why has Michigan Department of Corrections gone through five corrections directors since 1996? Why have many 55 gallon barrels of Agent Orange been allowed to continue to be buried within the parameters of Jackson prison and contaminate the prison wells and water supply of the largest prison population in Michigan? Further opting for opportunities for legitimate lawsuits and health and safety violation. Why do Michigan Department of Corrections food service personnel continue to be subjected to dry buffing flooring material inundated with asbestos within food service areas, daily subjecting Michigan taxpayers with further law-suit burdens while Michigan governors move on with their careers outside the state of Michigan yet continue to draw retirement from the Michigan payroll, as do the same with MDOC officials. Why do Michigan Department of Corrections personal officials feel empowered to call a local prosecuting attorney and request that they not prosecute the MCO guard for his attempt in helping a prisoner escape? Why is it that the State of Michigan Department of Corrections employee can win an “open award” in the workers compensation lawsuit, yet prior to the lawsuit the employee tried to follow the chain of command and file complaints within the proper state agencies such as civil service, state personnel department, the EEOC, Attorney General department, state representatives and senators and their Union yet the employee was discouraged from filing complaints and the EEOC of Michigan literally refused to look at the individuals documents and proofs of law violation. Why is it that the female inmate can request help from state representative John Freeman stating to him that prison officials are demanding that she (the female inmate) make false sexual allegations towards male state employees, yet state representative John Freeman provided no help to or for the male state employee who was directly subjected to the same prison officials for the same alleged allegations and other federal and state law violation. Why can prison guards were KKK uniforms in prison while on shift yet prison officials do nothing to persons responsible. Why is it that a Warden of a Jackson prison facility can come to work drunk and disorderly and have a loaded gun in his car? Why is it that Charles Paradine with nothing more than a high school diploma rise to the ranks of Assistant Deputy Warden after driving a stolen vehicle and driving that vehicle while drunk around prison grounds? Moreover how can Charles Paradine outqualify other applicants who have master’s degrees and Dr. Degrees in sociology and criminology for the position of Assistant Deputy Warden, again with nothing more than a high school diploma? Why can a coldwater male corrections officer stalk and sexually attacked a fellow female officer at her home, yet still maintain his job as a MCO officer. Why is it that Sgt. Mike Stepp is able to sell his Avon products inside the Coldwater prison walls while he is on duty? Why is it that when a “near riot condition” occurred in the food service cafeteria with approximately 150 inmates that the investigation of that event was done by the very person in charge of and responsible for the prison at the time of the near riot. Talk about the fox protecting the hen house! Why is it that Lieut. Tom Lowande can walk throughout the food service preparation area while smoking a lit cigar? Why is it that in Michigan there is absolutely no oversight for the people, by the people and of the people? Michigan is dead last in political ethics according to the Center for Public Integrity! Without proper oversight, Michigan Department of Corrections, our citizens and our great state are in dire straits. As evidenced by the volumes of documents we have compiled, the oversight of the Department of Civil Rights has been compromised, as has the oversight of the Michigan Department of Civil service. The Michigan Legislature has failed to correct the Michigan Department of Corrections, as has the United States Department of Justice. Injustices abound. Only a concerted public outcry for rational reform of our state departments and state government will suffice. “Like a link in a chain, one is useless without the other. For if one link fails so then does the purpose of the chain.” Author: Perry Schoneboom We want our state back! |
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