WCCF News (2/2019): What's Happening at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.

Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility
Copyright (c) 2019

#MTCChangesLives

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This is a collection of news briefs I compiled for The Woodville Republican (Woodville, Miss.). The collection is set to appear as a quarter-page ad on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), Woodville, where I serve as chaplain, is publishing its news in this format each quarter in the local newspaper.

What’s Happening At

Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

Photo #1: Warden Scott Middlebrooks

Photo #2: Kelly Pomeroy

Photo #3: Deputy Warden of Program Tonya Toomey and Chaplain Felton Quiett

Scott Middlebrooks is new warden at WCCF

Scott Middlebrooks of Milton, Fla., has taken the reins as the new warden of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). He follows Warden Jody Bradley who retired in January. Middlebrooks began his career in corrections with the Florida Department of Corrections in 1998 as a correctional officer. A few months later, he accepted a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he spent 25 years before retiring. WCCF is Middlebrooks’ fourteenth correctional facility and his seventh facility as warden. He’s served as warden for the past 15 years. He and his wife now live in Mississippi, which puts them about halfway between their two daughters. One is back in Milton and the other is in Houston. The one in Houston has a baby boy—Scott’s only grandchild.

Education Department close to CEA accreditation

Auditors of the Correctional Education Association (CEA) have recommended WCCF’s Education Department for CEA accreditation. CEA is a professional association of educators and administrators that provides educational services to adults and juveniles in correctional settings. When a facility passes all of the standards of CEA, it receives an automatic pass for the education portion of the American Correctional Association (ACA) audit. For CEA, compliance is important in meeting the educational needs of those incarcerated. The association’s standards are high and rigorous.

Kelly Pomeroy is new Human Resource Manager

Kelly Pomeroy, a native of Florida, is the new Human Resource Manager at WCCF. She has worked in Human Resources/Employee Benefits since 2008. She transferred to WCCF from East Mississippi Correctional Facility, Meridian, Miss. Before coming to Woodville, Pomeroy lived with her two daughters in Philadelphia, Miss., their home since 2006. 

15 men earn GEDs

Fifteen men incarcerated at WCCF recently earned their GEDs. They graduated in a special ceremony in the presence of their family, WCCF staff, and other offenders.Graduates included Valedictorian Marlon Reed, Salutatorian Matthew Courtney, Antonio Jones, Alonzo Haines, Chenzar Williamson, Johnathan Britt, Montrell Gibson, Korey Gibbs, Patrick Nelson, Markieth Griffin, James Mosley, Anthony Trevillion, Jabar Hayes, Armani Burks and Melvin Winder.

Chaplain John W. Henry named 2018 Volunteer of the Year

The Rev. John W. Henry of Lucedale was named the 2018 Volunteer of the Year at WCCF. He received the honor at the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet held at the facility on December 13. Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey presented Henry with a plaque in appreciation for his “outstanding service, dedication, and invaluable contribution to the Religious Programs at WCCF.” She also presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation. Henry attended the banquet with his wife, Melinda.

18 men complete drug and alcohol class

A total of 18 incarcerated men completed the facility’s “Long Term Drug and Alcohol” class. They graduated on January 8. The six-month course was taught by Substance Abuse Counselor Angela Coleman, who said the students included those from General Population and Protective Custody.

Pinelake volunteers, WCCF deliver Christmas care packages

Volunteers with the Pinelake Baptist Church visited WCCF in December 2018 and delivered Christmas care packages to all of the incarcerated men at the facility. The volunteers, who made their first delivery in 2017, donated 950 bags containing socks, shampoo, soap, letters, and candy. Pinelake’s distribution was followed by the annual distribution of care packages by WCCF.

Chaplain Felton Quiett honored

Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey and Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III honored WCCF’s contract chaplain, Imam Felton Quiett, in January for his years of service to the Muslim offenders. They presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation and a Special Recognition Award (plaque) for his contributions to the Religious Programs at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility.

#PrivatePrisons

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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.

Associated Press: Highway segment being named for civil rights author Moody

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyHighway

NOTE: This story was published by The Associated Press. It can be viewed here or by following this link: https://www.apnews.com/06c668c5fa924f1fbb917e3c41d10c26

Highway segment being named for 

civil rights author Moody

February 10, 2019

CENTREVILLE, Miss. (AP) — A segment of highway is being named for a civil rights activist who wrote the memoir, “Coming of Age in Mississippi.”

Legislators voted in 2018 to name part of Mississippi 24 as the Anne Moody Memorial Highway . The segment runs from Woodville to Centreville, in the southwestern part of the state.

A dedication ceremony is set for Feb. 20 in Centreville, where Moody grew up. One of the speakers will be her brother, the Rev. Fred Moody Jr.

Anne Moody was born in 1940. As a Tougaloo College student, she participated in a sit-in that challenged segregation at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson in 1963.

Moody also participated in the 1963 March on Washington and the 1964 Voter Registration Project.

Moody was 74 when she died in 2015.

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#ComingOfAgeinMississippi #Mississippi #CivilRights #BlackHistory #WomensHistory

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Want to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of

important events in her life history!

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For more information: 
See the Anne Moody page here.
Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III Ph.D. via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi

MTC: Staff at the Wilkinson Facility Pull Out All the Stops to Honor a Civil-Rights Hero

#AnneMoody

Dr. Roscoe Barnes III is chairman of the Anne Moody History Project.

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Management & Training Corporation: 

Staff at the Wilkinson Facility Pull Out All

 the Stops to Honor a Civil-Rights Hero

NOTE: This story and video package were created by Dale Bradshaw of Management & Training Corporation. It is truly an excellent piece of work, for which we are grateful. To see video, visit here or follow this link: https://www.mtctrains.com/corrections/staff-at-the-wilkinson-facility-pull-out-all-the-stops-to-honor-a-civil-rights-hero/

Four employees at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, Mississippi pay their respects to late civil-rights activist Anne Moody who grew up just a few miles from the facility. Behind them runs the stretch of Highway 24 named after her. The highway memorial is a result of this group’s effort to recognize one of America’s little-known heroes. And the timing couldn’t be better as we celebrate African American History Month.

As a student at Tougaloo College in the early 60s, Anne Moody became a major figure in the Civil Rights movement.

Here, she is pictured at the Woolsworth sit-in, now considered a pivotal moment in the civil-rights movement, which turned into terrifying violence. And Anne Moody was in the thick of it…and so many other events.

In 1968, at the suggestion of Jackie Robinson, Anne penned her autobiography. But as time went on, and Anne retreated from the spotlight, her legacy faded away….until these four formed the Anne Moody History Project.

“Nobody knew who she was, explains Roscoe Barnes who serves as the chaplain at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility and who was the impetus behind the Anne Moody History Project. [They would say], ‘Anne Moody? Anne who? Who is that?’”

In less than two years, the facility’s Anne Moody History Project has accomplished a great deal. Their efforts have gained the attention of local and national media. Through dedicated research, as well as ongoing contributions to museums and historical collections, the Anne Moody History Project has become the authority on Anne Moody’s contributions to the civil-rights movement.

In Part II of this story, we’ll take a look at how incarcerated men at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility became involved in the Anne Moody History Project, and continue to make an impact.

Glen Conley, incarcerated at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

“Reading the book, there was so much there that I was curious about. And that kind of started me researching…I went on to write an abstract…and I’ve been invited, two years in a row, to present an academic paper in a conference.”

Nan Prince, Director of Collections, Museum Division, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

“I was amazed when we went out to the prison and I saw how excited all the staff members were about the Anne Moody History Project. It’s wonderful to see that kind of community engagement come out of a prison.  It’s something I never expected, and to see them getting the inmates excited about Anne Moody.”

Laura Heller, Acquisitions and Collections Coordinator, Archives and Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

“It was delightful to meet the staff, and to hear how the inmates at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility were inspired and encouraged by Anne Moody’s life and experiences, and how they could use that information to better themselves.”

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#ComingOfAgeinMississippi #CivilRights #History #WomensHistory #Mississippi #AnneMoodyStreet #BlackHistory #BlackHistoryMonth

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Want to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of

important events in her life history!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 
See the Anne Moody page here.
Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III Ph.D. via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi

We Visited Anne Moody Street

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyStreet

Members of the Anne Moody History Project

We were delighted to participate in the new Black History project by Management & Training Corporation (MTC). We had a blast.

The Anne Moody Street sign is located in her hometown, Centreville, Miss.

PHOTO: Members of the Anne Moody History Project gathered for film project on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, in Centreville, MS. From left: Ruby Dixon, Emma Taplin, Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, Lavern Taylor. Photo by Dale Bradshaw.

#AnneMoody #ComingOfAgeinMississippi #CivilRights #BlackHistory #WomensHistory #Mississippi #AnneMoodyStreet

WLBT: Anne Moody highway dedication ceremony scheduled

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyHighway

Anne Moody, civil rights activist and author of Coming of Age in Mississippi

NOTE: This story was published by WLBT.com on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. It presents information on the Anne Moody Memorial Highway dedication set for Feb. 20, 2019. The story can be read on the WLBT website here or here: http://www.wlbt.com/2019/02/07/anne-moody-highway-dedication-ceremony-scheduled

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WLBT: 

Anne Moody highway dedication ceremony scheduled

By Howard Ballou | February 7, 2019 at 4:49 PM CST 

(Updated February 7 at 4:49 PM)

HATTIESBURG. MS (WLBT) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that the Anne Moody Memorial Highway dedication ceremony has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. in Centreville. The ceremony will take place at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church at 8755 Highway 24 East in Centreville.

Anne Moody, born in Centreville in 1940, was a civil rights activist and the respected author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Coming of Age in Mississippi. She participated in many historic nonviolent campaigns, including the Woolworth’s sit-in protest in 1963, the March on Washington in 1963, and the Voter Registration Project in 1964. She went on to become one of the most celebrated authors of the Civil Rights Movement. Moody died on February 5, 2015, at the age of 74.

In attendance for the dedication ceremony will be Transportation Commissioner Tom King, Representative Angela Cockerham, and Moody’s brother the Reverend Fred Moody, Jr.

House Bill 1153, passed during the 2018 Regular Mississippi Legislative Session, designates and names the segment of Mississippi Highway 24 in Wilkinson County beginning at its intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in Woodville, Mississippi, and extending east to the Amite County line in Centreville is designated as the “Anne Moody Memorial Highway.”

For more information about the Anne Moody Memorial Highway dedication ceremony, contact MDOT Public Affairs at (601) 359-9777.

Copyright 2019 WLBT. All rights reserved.

  

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Want to know MORE about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of 

important events in her life history!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 
See the Anne Moody page here.
Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi

She Came of Age in Mississippi

A Brief (Program) Biography of Anne Moody

By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2019

#AnneMoody

Formal invitation from the Mississippi Department of Transportation

Anne Moody

(Sept. 15, 1940 -- Feb. 5, 2015)

Anne Moody was a civil rights activist and the respected author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Coming of Age in Mississippi.

She was born Essie Mae Moody on Sept. 15, 1940, to Fred Moody Sr. and Elmira “Too Sweet” Williams Moody in Centreville, Miss. Her parents worked for a time as sharecroppers on the Miller plantation.

Anne was the oldest of 10 children. Her siblings include Adline Moody, Fred Moody Jr., Kelvin Jefferson, Ralph Jefferson, James Jefferson, Vallery Anderson, Frances Jefferson, Virginia Gibson, and Leroy Jefferson Jr.

Anne and her former husband, Austin Straus, were the parents of Sasha Straus.

Anne became an activist in the early 1960s while attending Tougaloo College. She was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She participated in many historic nonviolent campaigns, including the Woolworth's sit-in protest in 1963, the March on Washington in 1963, and the Voter Registration Project in 1964.

In addition to incarcerations, Anne endured physical violence and death threats in her fight for freedom, justice, and equality for all. After a long and tenacious battle against the dark forces of racism, poverty, and discrimination in the Jim Crow era, she went on to become one of the most celebrated authors of the civil rights movement. She proved to be not only a woman of courage, but a woman of extraordinary talent.

Anne died on Feb. 5, 2015, at the age of 74.

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Want to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of
important events in her life history!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 
See the Anne Moody page here.
Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III Ph.D. via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi

Enterprise-Journal: Moody highway dedication set for Feb. 20

#AnneMoody

NOTE: This story appeared in the Jan. 31, 2019 issue of the Enterprise-Journal, a daily newspaper in McComb, Miss. To see the story on the paper's website, visit here or follow this link: http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_6ff32be4-24f0-11e9-af9c-1bbb0daf5798.html

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Enterprise-Journal

Moody highway dedication set for Feb. 20

Mississippi Department of Transportation officials will dedicate a portion of Highway 24 near Centreville as the Anne Moody Memorial Highway in honor of the late author and civil rights activist next month.

The dedication is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 E., Centreville.

Moody, a native of Centreville, wrote the book “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” which chronicled the hardships of growing up black and poor in rural Jim Crow Mississippi.

The book received worldwide acclaim, was translated into many foreign languages and became required reading in some schools.

In addition to her book, Moody was a noted civil rights activist and was one of three people pictured in an iconic 1963 newspaper photograph participating in a sit-in at a Woolworth in Jackson as an angry mob poured ketchup, mustard and sugar on their heads.

She died in 2015 suffering from dementia and living with family in Gloster at the age of 74.

Roscoe Barnes, a chaplain at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville and founder of the Anne Moody History Project, lobbied for the highway dedication, which was approved by the Mississippi Legislature last year. Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, whose House District 96 includes Centreville, sponsored the legislation.

Barnes also successfully had Centreville officials rename the street where she grew up in the town’s Ash Quarters neighborhood Anne Moody Street.

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Want to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of
important events in her life history!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 
See the Anne Moody page here.
Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III Ph.D. via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi