Mark W. Michael Unit
Men's prison in Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75886
 Interactive map of Mark W. Michael Unit | |
| Location | 2664 FM 2054 Tennessee Colony, Texas 75886 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 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 | Martin |
| County | Anderson County |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
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] |
| Christian Cavazos aka “Guero10k” & “Houston’s top crash out” | 02525215 | Serving a life sentence. | Former “rapper” who was found guilty of murdering 5 people, 2 being an elderly couple he mistook as the grandparents of his “oops”.[14][15]
|
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.[16]
- Steven Jay Russell[17] - The prisoner is a character in the film I Love You Phillip Morris
- Elmer Wayne Henley[4][18]
