Marshall's Law

By Michael C. Marshall

Come walk along the corridors of a Pennsylvania state prison and find out what really happens behind these walls.......if you dare! It starts out innocently enough and then takes on a seedy trail of deception, lies, sex, racism and corruption. The events that you are about to discover take place in one of the largest prisons in the western region of Pennsylvania and become a rude awakening for a young rookie corrections officer. A real eye opener! Having been born and raised in New York City, Michael thought nothing could surprise him; but oh how wrong he was. Michael finds out that the Pennsylvania state prison system is a whole different animal and nothing could have prepared him for this! Not even the mean streets of New York City. And as if that wasn't enough, he also learns that his only brother was employed in the north tower of the World Trade Center on that fateful morning of September 11, 2001. As he watches the horrors unfold on live television, he tries desperately to find out his brother's fate! His life is turned upside down with the turmoil of the prison and the uncertainty of his brother's life. He learns that there are three laws, the law for the rich, the law for the poor, and then there's.........Marshall's Law

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael C. Marshall
• Release date: Dec 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540710482

Book preview

Dedication

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This book is dedicated to the people in my life that helped shape and mold me into the person that I am today. For that I am forever grateful.

Tanya Marshall, Tyler Marshall, Marian Marshall, Chris Marshall, Maria, Robin, Diana Dent, Joyce Shaffer, Tymara Shaffer, Dr. Glenn Toby, Johnny Addison, Keith Hogan, Marvin Brooks, Grandmaster Lawrence J. Clark of the United Tang-Soo-Do Federation, Ricky Felipa, and the many other people that have blessed my life. Thank you. May there be peace and love forever in your hearts.

Michael C. Marshall

Preface

My name is Michael C. Marshall, and this is my story, a story about the life and times of a Pennsylvania State Corrections Officer and the everyday struggles that occur behind the walls of a place where society has put some of the most ruthless people that you can imagine. Once the crime has been committed, and whether the victim lives or dies, it is society’s place to make sure that these people who commit such heinous crimes are punished.

It is the police department’s responsibility to gather evidence and to set forth in apprehending the perpetrator of the crime. Once the alleged perpetrator is in custody and charges have been filed, it is then in the hands of the district attorney. The alleged perpetrator has the right to legal representation. If the accused cannot afford legal counsel, one will be appointed to him by a court of law.

After sentencing, the convicted felon is placed in the county jail where he waits to be transported to a processing center of a state correctional institution. Once in the processing center, the inmate is given the rules and regulations of the Department of Corrections.  He is also given an inmate number. The inmate is now officially the property of the Department of Corrections until his sentence is either revoked, fulfilled, or until his natural life has expired.

The convicted felon is now transported to one of twenty-eight state correctional institutions in the state of Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, the convicted felon is known as an inmate and is now processed in and assigned a housing unit. This is where he will be housed. The majority of inmates are celled up two inmates per cell. Being in such close quarters sometimes sparks violence. This is where the corrections officer’s job begins. There are three laws: the law for the poor, the law for the rich, and then there’s Marshall’s law.

The events that you are about to read are true and occurred during the author’s employment with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, which is a state prison. The prison where the author worked was located in a small town. If there was no prison in this town, there would be no town. The small town consisted of mainly farms and diminutive communities that rarely saw the faces of any outsiders with the exception of a stranger happening to get lost and stray into their seemingly dismal neighborhood. Until the state built this correctional institution in 1993, there were rarely any unfamiliar people in the area. The majority of employees that work at the state correctional institution are from this community and, in fact, have somewhat of a distorted ideology about the different diversities and ethnic cultures of the many races that are incarcerated.

There are approximately 2,984 inmates imprisoned at this correctional institution. Pennsylvania has a total of 30 state correctional institutions. Out of the 30 correctional institutions, there are two for female inmates and one for juveniles. The author worked in the western region of Pennsylvania for close to twenty years. Staying true to form, he looked at the experience through objective eyes and wanted this story to be told at whatever the outcome. The names of all individuals have been changed, as well as the name of the correctional institution. The only authentic name is that of the author. So please sit back and enjoy a truly informative and overwhelming novel about what really happens in Pennsylvania’s prisons. What really happens in MARSHALL’S LAW!

Table of Contents

Dedication

Preface

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 – Embarkment

CHAPTER 2 – The System

CHAPTER 3 – Inside the Big House

CHAPTER 4 – Learning the Ropes

CHAPTER 5 – Training Days

CHAPTER 6 – Rachel Warren

CHAPTER 7 – C.O. 1

CHAPTER 8 – D-Block

CHAPTER 9 – Proving Grounds

CHAPTER 10 – New York Connection

CHAPTER 11 – Heaven Help Us All

About the Author

CHAPTER 1 – Embarkment

The non-stop blare of the alarm clock filled the room. I closed my eyes and wrapped my pillow over my ears to shut out the noise. As I rolled over, I remembered that I should have changed the alarm clock from the beeping noise to some smooth music. Oh well, I thought, giving in to the rude wake-up call, I guess I’d better get up because that alarm sure is annoying.

Just then the phone rang. Hello, I said as I picked up the handset and put it to my ear. Hey, yeah Nick, I’m up. I’ll be ready around 7:30 a.m. I can’t believe it’s November 18 already. Don’t worry. I’ll be there on time. You just make sure you’re there on time and remember to bring two number 2 pencils.

I hung up the phone and gazed out of the window. It was still snowing from the previous night and my car had a ton of snow on it. Damn! I was going to have to hurry this morning if I wanted to be on time to take the corrections officer exam.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw no sign of my cousin’s car. I wondered if he’d gotten a lift from his girlfriend, so I headed inside to look for him.

Once inside, I showed my identification to security and they let me pass through. I then proceeded upstairs to look for my classroom number and cousin, Nick. He still had a good twenty minutes to make it in time for the exam. While waiting, I figured I’d look around the other classrooms to see if he was in any of them. There was no sign of him anywhere, so I headed back to the original room.

After entering the classroom, the Proctor closed the door and said no one else would be admitted. I let out a sigh, realizing that my cousin was going to miss the exam. The Proctor then had us hand in our admission cards, show identification, and sign the examination form. The Proctor was a short man with a bald head and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that didn’t quite fit his face. He fidgeted a lot while lecturing us on how to fill out the test form. I looked toward the door to see if there were any last minute arrivals for the exam. There were none.

The Proctor explained that this would be a three-hour exam with part of it being a video of different scenarios and situations. He then announced to open our booklets and gave an official time of 10 a.m. This was it, I thought. I opened my booklet and began taking the exam. After approximately thirty-five minutes, there was a knock on the door. The Proctor hurried to the door and whispered, May I help you, sir? It was my cousin. Once again Nick was late. He repeatedly asked the Proctor to let him in to take the exam.

The Proctor told him for the last time, and with a hint of sarcasm, that he could not let him in to take the exam. He was too late. My cousin then called out to me, saying he would wait for me downstairs. Two hours and fifteen minutes later I finally finished. I let out a sigh of relief. Some of the questions seemed pretty easy and all you had to do was use common sense. Other questions made no sense at all. You could have chosen any one of the answers and you would have been right. Regardless, I was glad that the test was behind me now.

As I handed in my answer sheet, I heard someone in the back of the classroom let out a loud yell. Ahh! Oh no, I know I didn’t!

The Proctor and I turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. A young guy with barely enough hair on his face to quality him as an adult stood up and headed in our direction. The Proctor had a peculiar look on his face, as if to say what’s going on in my classroom. He scratched the top of his bald head. The young guy walked at a brisk pace with his eyes still focused on his paper. When he reached the Proctor, he said in a loud and squeaky voice, I . . . I . . . I put the answers in the wrong place!

The Proctor took his answer sheet and began to examine the paper as if he were trying to break a secret code. As he studied the paper, he squinted his face and his wire-rimmed glasses slid down his nose. The Proctor took his free hand and with the tip of his index finger, slid the glasses back up the bridge of his nose. In a few seconds the glasses slid back down to the tip of his nose again.

The Proctor tilted his face down towards the paper but moved his eyes up to look at the young man. His gaze fell back to the paper once more, and again to the man. The Proctor cleared his throat. I’m sorry, Mr. Little, there is nothing I can do for you.

I glanced down at the paper the Proctor was holding and noticed that the young guy’s name was David Little. David looked very frustrated and upset. He asked the Proctor what would happen to his test. The Proctor explained that it would be graded and he would receive the outcome of whether he passed or failed the exam. It would take four to six weeks before he received the results. David then said in a loud tone, But I put the answers in the wrong place!

The Proctor frowned and hesitated for a moment. I could tell that the Proctor was becoming annoyed with David Little. He told him that if he did not pass the exam he would be notified. He could take the exam again in six months.

David looked at the Proctor as though he were going to say something. He opened his mouth slightly, but nothing came out. Once again he looked at the paper, then back at the Proctor. Then he turned and walked angrily toward the door.

The Proctor and I looked at one another. We were wondering whether or not either of us was going to say something about what had just happened. I started to say something, but thought, Hey! Wait a minute! What about my paper? I was about to ask the Proctor for my exam back so I could check it to see if I had made the same mistake as David Little, but before I could say anything, the Proctor said, Here. Here’s your exam. Check it. Check it here in front of me. The Proctor seemed to be agitated about the whole situation that had happened a few minutes earlier.

I quickly grabbed my paper and looked it over as if I were about to perform surgery. I had filled in my answers in the correct location and was relieved to know that. I then handed my paper back to the Proctor. He put it back into the pile of completed answer sheets. Then he immediately looked up and began scanning the classroom again. I left the classroom and headed down the stairs.

I wondered why my cousin Nick had missed the exam. I’d spoken to him on the phone and he’d said he was ready for the test. I’d told him to make sure to bring his admission card so that he could get into the test site, and to be sure to bring two number 2 pencils – and most of all to be on time! As I left the building, I saw Nick and his girlfriend, Debbie, in the parking lot standing in front of his car.

As I approached them, Debbie turned toward me and said, Right, Mike? Don’t you think Nick should get a new car? I mean, look at it! It’s terrible looking for one thing, and the second thing is that it won’t start up most of the time. I don’t know why he won’t get rid of it!

I looked at his car and it wasn’t a pretty sight. It used to be red at one time, but now the paint was old and faded and had taken on a nauseating pinkish shade. The passenger-side mirror hung by a cable, and the mirror itself was cracked in half. I tried looking away from his car, but noticed one ugly thing after another, like the car only had two hubcaps and they didn’t even match.

Nick protectively said, But it’s my first car, and she and I have been through a lot of good and bad times together.

Debbie replied, Yeah, it’s your first car, and it looks like it’s been through World War I and World War II.

I couldn’t help but laugh. This was an everyday occurrence with Debbie and Nick. They would go back and forth about how his car was unreliable, ugly, and old. Nick would comment on how he had picked this car out of dozens of other cars, and that red was his favorite color.

I looked at his car again and shook my head.

Nick then said to Debbie, But I met you when I first got this car. We’ve been on many dates with this beauty, and they sure don’t make them like this anymore. Nick spoke with pride as he patted his hand on the roof of the car like a well-loved pet.

You’re right, Nick, I said. They sure don’t make them like that anymore. I think they stopped making that model around the time Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States. Debbie, Nick, and I all laughed.

I asked Nick why he was late for the exam. Nick said with slight disappointment, You’re looking at it. My starter was sticking and I had to crawl underneath the car to bang it a few times.

A few times? Debbie said. It was more like a few dozen times. Plus you had to check some wires under the hood.

Nick replied, I had to make sure she was getting a good connection.

Nick! I shouted, halting an argument before it began. You should have called me. I would’ve picked you up.

But Mike, I thought I could get her going in just a few minutes. It took longer than I expected.

You missed the exam. Now you’ll have to file for it again, I said.

I know. I’m going to get the application later on today after I buy a new starter.

I followed Nick and Debbie to make sure they got home without the car breaking down again, then took Nick to the auto parts store so that he could get a new starter. We picked up a new application for the corrections officer exam. Then I dropped Nick off at home and told him to make out the new corrections officer application and mail it in.

As I left, I could see from my rearview mirror that Debbie had come outside and that Nick was just starting to jack up his car so that he could change the starter. I could only guess that the conversation they were having was about him getting rid of his car. I smiled, then laughed.

Once I got home, I checked my answering machine. I was glad to hear a message from Kelly.

Kelly and I had met about two weeks prior at a friend’s wedding. While at the reception, I noticed her from across the room. I was having a conversation with a buddy of mine named Eddie. I asked Eddie, Who’s that girl?

Which one? Eddie asked me. He laughed jokingly. Oh, the fat girl with the two left feet!

No! I replied. Not that one. The girl next to her with the light blue dress and nice legs.

I’m not sure, Eddie said. I think she’s a friend of the bride.

I told Eddie that I’d sure like to meet her. It was then that Nick came over to join Eddie and me.

There sure are a lot of nice looking ladies here tonight, Nick said.

Just as Eddie and I were about to respond, Debbie came over to join us. Eddie looked at me and winked, then looked back at Nick and said, Yeah, Nick, you’re right, there sure are a lot of nice looking ladies here tonight. He knew repeating that would get Nick into some hot water with Debbie.

Eddie and I laughed. Nick, on the other hand, had a strange look on his face as if he didn’t know what to say.

I’d better be the only nice looking lady Nick is looking at tonight, Debbie said. She pinched Nick on the cheek.

Nick glared at Eddie. "Thanks, pal!" he replied.

Eddie smiled. "Anytime, pal!"

Just then the girl with the blue dress came over to tell Debbie that the bride was looking for her. Nick, Eddie, and I stopped talking. Then we noticed that no one was saying anything and it seemed like quite an awkward moment. We were all standing there, Nick, Debbie, Eddie, and me, and the girl in the blue dress.

Before I realized what had happened, I opened my mouth and these words came out. Sorry. How rude of us. I then proceeded to introduce everyone. This is Nick and his girlfriend, Debbie. This is Eddie, and I’m Michael.

Nice to meet all of you. My name is Kelly. I’m a friend of the bride.

Oh! I’d better go find the lucky bride, Debbie said. She grabbed Nick by the hand. "Let’s go, dear,"

Eddie and I looked at each other. I was trying to signal him with my eyes and a slight nod of my head to get lost. But Eddie wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Nick and Debbie had walked about five feet away from us when Nick turned and said, Hey, Eddie. You coming?

Eddie had a puzzled look on his face as though wondering what Nick was talking about. He turned and looked at me, then at Kelly, then back at me. Suddenly his face lit as if someone had turned a light switch on in his head. He finally figured out that I wanted him to leave so I could talk to Kelly.

Eddie then started with his poor acting. Oh, you know, I’d better go keep an eye out on Nick. He’s liable to get himself into some trouble with all the pretty girls around here, present company excluded.

Kelly smiled.

I said, Goodbye, Eddie.

Kelly and I talked for what seemed like only a few minutes but in actuality was four hours. I told her that I had taken the corrections officer exam a few weeks earlier and what