Racists on the Parole Board in Michigan?

This is an article that was printed in the Michigan Citizen . October 11-17, 1992 by Terry Kelly regarding an incident that involved Michigan's parole board chairman Stephen Marschke, who was a sheriff for Berrien County in Benton Harbor, Michigan. It is important that you pay close attention to this story because it clearly shows that this man who now sits on the Michigan Parole Board judging people is, himself, suspect in the death of a young black male. This article has been typed out in pertinent parts.

VOTERS BETRAYED: OUSTED SHERIFF IN PAROLE POST

Questions surrounds sheriff's role in youth's drowning –

By Terry Kelly - Michigan Citizen

BENTON HARBOR... When the voters in Benton Harbor broke with tradition in the August primary, and switched to the Republican ballot, they did it for one reason: to oust Berrien Sheriff Stephen Marschke.

"It hurts me to vote Republican", said one senior citizen, "But that man had to go". Go he did - right in to a $69,000 a year seat on the newly formed state parole board, appointed by Gov. John Engler. Marschke lost the August primary election to Republican challenger Bob Kimmerly because voters from traditionally Democratic -- and 93 percent African-American -- Benton Harbor crossed over to guarantee he lost.

Blacks in this south-western Michigan community were outraged at the campaign tactics of the sheriff and his explained failure to take action when it might have saved the life of a 16 year old African American. During his reelection campaign, Marschke ran an ad depicting a young African American male handcuffed, standing by a car as a white officer searched the trunk and the sheriff looked on. Over the picture, ran the words, "In the war on drugs who knows the enemy best? Sheriff Marschke": Under the picture was the caption, "It's about time." At a press conference held only days before the election, a group of Benton Harbor's leading citizens joined the mother of the young man in the photo, to protest the sheriff's racist message, saying the ad was worse than Willie Horton.

But voters were also outraged at Marschke's failure to act in the case of Eric McGinnis. In May of 1991, the body of 16-year old McGinnis was pulled from St. Joseph River. The African American youth, a resident of Benton Harbor, had been dropped off at a teen dance by his father on a Friday night around 9 p.m. He did not come home. Five days later his body was seen floating in the river that divides the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. After a year of the closed investigation, it was revealed during an election debate that Sheriff Marschke was probably the last person to see McGinnis alive. On the night McGinnis disappeared, Marschke was on his way into a tavern in downtown St. Joseph when he saw a Black youth being chased down the middle of the street by a white male was someone "he had seen before".

There is no official explanation to this day of how McGinnis ended up in the river or why Marschke failed to stop the chase or apprehend the youth. "I was appalled to hear the man was getting off the hook here with the appointment to the Parole Board," said Twin Cities Branch NAACP Mary DeFoe. "We still need to know Marschke's part of it (the Eric McGinnis case)."

"We're still pursuing Eric McGinnis and Marschke's failure to take action as a sworn police officer", said City Commissioner James F.A. Turner. "We want that case solved. We need to know what he knows about it; what he knows about the person chasing McGinnis".

"No Black will ever get a fair hearing from him", DeFoe said of the Marschke appointment in a three-year term on the parole board." Her comment and the concern of others familiar with Marschke point up the case made by State Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D) (Detroit) on the recent parole board appointments. The new parole board is comprised of nine appointees, who will serve straggled terms, unlike the former board of civil servants who served life.

Still denying African Americans Parole

Though this article was printed in 1992, the facts remain relevant today. Stephen Marschke remains on the Michigan Parole Board making decisions on peoples' lives. It is clear from the news article, that this man is a racist and suspect of the murder of a 16-year old African American male which cost him re-election to his former post as Sheriff.

It should also be noted that since Marschke's been on the parole board ever-since being appointed by governor John Engler, and he has been consistent in his refusal to grant paroles for the vast majority of parolable Black males and females in the state of Michigan. We must look at the racism in Michigan as follows: Over 70% of the prison population is African American males. Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) employees are over 78& white, and less then 20% African American. With a grossly slanted picture like this and with a parole board chairman like Stephen Marschke lording over so many people of color... ask yourself the question... "can Black people and all people of color within the MDOC receive a fair and impartial hearing on anything?"

A Corrections official for the MDOC said most of the least violent offenders have been paroled out of the prison's system. What's left are the most dangerous convicts serving the longest terms. However, this is not the case. The vast majority of prisoners in Michigan are not violent offenders but non-violent offenders and parole violators - individuals who've violated some parole infraction such as dirty urine, missing a report, not having a job, etc.

Parties wishing to PROTEST against Stephen Marschke being a Parole Board Chairman should send letters of protest to:

Jennifer Granholm, Attorney General
Dept. of Attorney General
525 West Ottawa Building
G. Mennen Williams Bldg., 7th Fl.
PO Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48913 USA

Bill Martin, Director Michigan Department of Corrections
Grandview Plaza Building
PO Box 30003
Lansing, MI 48909 USA

John Conyers State Senator
2426 Rayburn House Office Building 20515
Washington, D.C. 20500 USA