Bay St. Louis Native Ricky Keeton Assists with Baptisms at Wilkinson County Prison

#MTCChangesLives

Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, left, baptizes Albert Thomas, with assistance from Ricky Keeton, who works with the chaplain’s department.

WOODVILLE, Miss. – Ricky Keeton Jr., a Bay St. Louis native, recently helped with the baptism of more than 30 men at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). Keeton is the son of the late Ricky Keeton Sr. of Bay St. Louis.

“I was honored that Chaplain [Roscoe] Barnes chose me to be part of his team,” said Keeton. “I felt such joy for these men and their decision to dedicate their lives to Christ.”

Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III said the baptism is an event the men will always remember. “It is a very important milestone in their lives,” he said. “I couldn’t have done this without my team, and Keeton’s contributions to this service have been invaluable.”

Keeton works as a sally-port orderly in the prison. He helps with the chaplain’s department when he is not working his regular job. He served as a chaplain’s assistant for two years in another prison.

Keeton said he became a Christian four years ago and it was the best decision he ever made. His goals are to earn his G.E.D. and take up another trade. When asked what he planned to do when he is released, he said, “I would love to buy a truck and travel the country spreading the gospel of Christ.”

WCCF is managed by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah.

 

Sgt. William “Rambo” Bonds Honored as Employee of the Month

Recognition given by Wilkinson Prison

#MTCChangesLives

C.E.R.T. Sgt. William "Rambo" Bonds

WOODVILLE, Miss. – Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) recently honored a member of its Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT).

C.E.R.T. Sgt. William V. “Rambo” Bonds was named Employee of the Month for March for his exemplary work in maintaining control and a peaceful environment among the prison population.

“Sgt. Bonds is an exceptional employee with a great work ethic,” said Warden Scott Middlebrooks. “We’re really proud of the work he’s doing with C.E.R.T. He is a vital member of the team.”

Bonds said, “I’m really, really honored. It’s the first time ever that I received a commendation from a company I worked for. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am. It means a lot to me and my team. It’s really great and I’m humbled by it.”

Captain Phil Taylor, Bonds’ supervisor, said, “This recognition couldn’t have been awarded to a better man at a better time. Sgt. Bonds has been a major factor in the success of our daily operations. His military experience has prepared him for this job.”

As a member of the C.E.R.T. team, Bonds is in his element, Taylor said.

Born and raised in Natchez, Bonds is a resident of Franklin County. He graduated from Amite County High School in 1999. Bonds said he was in the eighth grade when his classmates began calling him Rambo.

Bonds served as a member of the Army National Guard. He did tours in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Bonds said his wife, Cheryl, was elated to hear about his recognition. “Baby, that’s great,” she said. “You really earned it. It’s awesome. I’m so proud of you.”

Bonds and Cheryl have two children: Michela and Layden.

WCCF, which houses more than 900 male offenders, is managed by Management & Training Corporation or MTC of Utah.

 

Wilkinson County Correctional Facility is Featured in National Magazine

Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) participants in the Witness the Fitness Walking Club display a copy of Corrections Today magazine (January/February 2021 issue). Each of them is mentioned in the article, "Witness the Fitness Walking Club: How the staff of a Mississippi prison fights stress and stays fit in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic." The article, which was written by Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., appears on pages 28-32. From left are Branton Lewis, Sherry Rowe, Clarissa Sanders-Credit, and Frances Griffin.

To view the article, please visit: 

https://www.academia.edu/44761570/Witness_the_Fitness_Walking_Club_How_the_staff_of_a_Mississippi_prison_fights_stress_and_stays_fit_in_the_face_of_the_COVID_19_pandemic

Dwyane Anthony is New Co-Chaplain at Wilkinson Prison

He pastors King Emanuel Baptist Church in Woodville

 

Chaplain Dwyane Anthony

WOODVILLE, Miss. – Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) recently made an addition to its chaplain’s department. The Rev. Dwyane Anthony, a Woodville native and pastor of King Emanuel Baptist Church, is the new co-chaplain at the Woodville facility.

“Anthony has been an exemplary employee,” said Programs Director Tracey Arbuthnot. “He is a good leader and I’m sure he will be a great blessing to us in this role. We’re all excited about his new position as co-chaplain.”

Anthony is a retiree of Louisiana State Prison (Angola), where he was employed as a corrections captain. In his new position, he will work with WCCF’s current chaplain, Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, and the contract chaplain, Felton Quiett, who serves as the Imam for the Muslim offenders.

Barnes said Anthony has a lot to offer and he looks forward to working with him.

“Given Anthony’s background as a pastor for the past eighteen years, and his familiarity of the prison system, I feel that his ministry will make a tremendous impact on the lives of the men here and our chaplain’s department as a whole,” Barnes noted.

Anthony, who was first hired as an academic instructor for WCCF, quickly climbed the ladder due to his prior experience in corrections, according to Barnes. Anthony assisted with security and became a training manager, where he supervised the training of new officers.

According to Warden Scott Middlebrooks, Anthony is an ordained minister “who is excited to pursue work in his calling.” The warden said he is eager to work with him in his new capacity. “I’m confident he will do an excellent job in providing for the spiritual and religious needs of our facility,” he said.

Anthony is a 1982 graduate of Wilkinson County High School and a 1987 graduate of Alcorn State University (ASU), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Technical Education and Electronics.

When asked about his newest position as chaplain, Anthony said he was happy about the new opportunities that lay ahead.

“Out of all my years in corrections, this is the position I was destined to be in,” he said. “In the past, I had been more focused on security and neglected my true calling, which is ministering God’s word to the offenders.”

Anthony and his wife, Katrina, have been married for 31 years. They are the proud parents of one son, Dwyane Jr., and the grandparents of Peyton Dwyane Anthony.

WCCF houses more than 900 male offenders. It is managed by Management & Training Corporation or MTC of Utah.

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#PrivatePrisons #Corrections #MTCChangesLives

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.

Wilkinson Prison Receives PPE from GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID19

The nonprofits donated 42 face shields to the facility

The medical staff at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), Woodville, Miss., was overjoyed to receive the face shields donated recently by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Lavern Taylor, medical administrator assistant, left, is displaying the donated items with Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse. 

WOODVILLE, Miss. -- The nonprofit group, GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), recently donated 42 face shields to Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). The shields will be used by the staff and the facility’s medical department, whose services are provided by Vital Core Health Strategies.

WCCF staff said they are grateful to GetUsPPE and its many volunteers for making this donation possible.

“It was a blessing because it is so hard to get PPE,” said Lavern Taylor, medical administrator assistant. “This was something we didn’t have to hunt down. It came to us and it’s something we can use.”

PPE donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID19

Taylor said it is hard for places like WCCF’s medical department to get the necessary PPE because it is not a hospital. She said the number of face shields is just what was needed.

Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse, said the donation showed the thoughtfulness of the volunteers.

“It was so generous of them,” she said. “I’ve used the face shields. They’ve made the nurses’ job a lot better, especially when we speak to the inmates, because they can now see our facial expressions.”

Jo Lannan, a licensed practical nurse at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), assembles the face shield donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Lannan’s services in the facility’s medical department are provided through Vital Core Health Strategies.

In a letter about the PPE, Brian Malin, who coordinated the delivery, said the donated items included PLA-based plastic 3D Face Shield frames based on the Verkstan six hole and 50 PVC 8 mil plastic shield screens. He included a bundle of ear saver straps for more comfortable facemask wearing over prolonged periods of time.

The face shields were produced by Makers for COVID-19, of which Malin is a part, in collaboration with GetUsPPE.

Malin noted the materials were handled in a safe and protected fashion. He added a note of gratitude: “Thank you to all the medical professionals and healthcare workers who are doing a great service to the community in these challenging times. May this equipment help them continue their work.”

Medical Administrator Assistant Lavern Taylor of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility displays the PPE donated by GetUsPPE and Makers for COVID-19. Taylor’s services in the facility’s medical department are provided through Vital Core Health Strategies.

According to its website, Get Us PPE is considered “the largest national organization getting personal protective equipment (PPE such as masks, gloves, and isolation gowns) to frontline workers who need it most.” Founded in March 2020 by emergency physicians, the organization stepped up to meet an urgent need for PPE. Since its founding, the organization has reportedly provided millions of units of PPE to such places as nursing homes, jails and prisons, homeless shelters, hospitals, and small clinics. A team of more than 200 volunteers are now helping the organization.

 
“As a nonprofit, we obtain PPE via donations and makers, then deliver it to under-resourced facilities at no cost to them,” notes the organization’s website. “Fair and equitable distribution is vital to our mission.”

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#PrivatePrisons #Corrections #MTCChangesLives

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.

Pastor LeReginald Jones Donates Pallets to Wilkinson Prison

The pallets will be turned into bookcases for local school district

 
#OperationVarnish 

#MTCChangesLives
 

On behalf of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), I want to thank Rev. LeReginald Jones for donating 40 pallets to WCCF’s Operation Varnish project, which is turning pallets into bookcases for the Wilkinson County School District (WCSD). Jones, left, is pictured here with Instructor Larry Jackson, who leads the class that is building the bookcases. Jones is the pastor of Oak Hill First Zion Baptist Church and St. Matthew Baptist Church #2, both of Woodville, Miss.

Deputy Warden William DeRevere Featured in Correctional News

#MTCChangesLives

I'm happy to report William DeRevere, the new deputy warden of operations at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, is featured in Correctional News. The story later appeared in the national newsletter, Corrections Daily, which is described as "a news summary provided to all ACA members to keep [them] updated on the latest corrections-related news from around the world."

DeRevere's story can be viewed here or by visiting this link: http://correctionalnews.com/2021/02/10/william-derevere