Mark W. Michael Inmate Overview
TDCJ identifies Mark W. Michael Unit as a state prison at 2664 FM 2054 in Tennessee Colony. The unit is four miles south of Tennessee Colony on FM 2054 and sits inside the large Anderson County prison cluster. It is not run by the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. It does not serve as the booking point for people newly arrested in Palestine or elsewhere in the county. The facility houses male sentenced state prisoners under TDCJ rules.
Senior Warden Nicholas Martin is listed for Mark W. Michael Unit. TDCJ reports that the unit came on line in September 1987 and has been ACA accredited since January 2008. Its custody levels include G1 through G5, Security Detention, and Safekeeping. Those terms place Michael deeper in the state-prison system than a local jail roster search. A county jail record may show that a person was waiting for transfer to TDCJ, but once the person is in Michael Unit, the public search path changes to the TDCJ Inmate Information Search.
The official facility page was matched in the image manifest. The source is the TDCJ Mark W. Michael Unit directory page.
The image confirms the official unit profile source; the live inmate record should still be checked through the TDCJ locator and, when needed, the unit phone.
Mark W. Michael Inmate Capacity
The facility map and TDCJ unit detail list Mark W. Michael Unit with capacity for 3,305 male prisoners. Research did not locate a current daily population count for the unit. For that reason, the capacity number should be treated as a TDCJ listed capacity, not as a current count of people housed there today. Anderson County's local jail population is reported separately by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and those jail figures should not be blended with TDCJ prison capacity.
The official unit detail also lists 504 total employees, including 333 security employees, 115 non-security employees, 13 Windham Education employees, and contract medical and mental-health staff. That staffing profile is part of the state prison record context. It supports prison operation, education, health care, and security functions, but it does not create an Anderson County booking database for Michael Unit inmates.
Search Mark W. Michael Inmates
The TDCJ Inmate Information Search is the correct public locator for Mark W. Michael Unit. The TDCJ search includes only inmates currently incarcerated in a TDCJ facility, updates on working days, and is at least 24 hours old. The locator can be searched by TDCJ number, SID number, or last name plus at least the first initial. Gender and race fields can help narrow broad results.
- Open the TDCJ locator and choose the most exact identifier available. TDCJ or SID numbers are usually stronger than name-only searches.
- For a name search, enter the exact last name and at least the first initial. Add gender or race only if it helps filter results.
- Check the current facility field. It should identify Mark W. Michael Unit before mail, visits, or deposits are planned for this prison.
- Use the unit phone when the locator age matters, because TDCJ states online data is not real-time.
A TDCJ inmate profile is not the same as a county booking record. Prison profiles commonly point to state custody, unit placement, sentence or offense information, and related release or parole fields. County jail charges, bond, and first appearance details follow a separate path. For county jail booking and records procedures, use the Anderson County jail record channel rather than the Michael Unit page.
Mark W. Michael Address
The unit's official contact information should be used for prison-specific questions. That includes current unit status, visitor approval, prison mail rules, and questions that depend on Michael Unit operations. If the question is about an Anderson County arrest before transfer, the county jail and sheriff records process is separate from the TDCJ unit contact.
Mark W. Michael Unit
2664 FM 2054
Tennessee Colony, TX 75886
903-928-2311
Texas Department of Criminal Justice state prison
Mark W. Michael Visitation
Visitation at Mark W. Michael Unit follows the statewide TDCJ visitation process. Visitors generally need approval and must follow TDCJ scheduling, identification, dress, and property rules. Security detention, safekeeping, disciplinary status, or movement can affect visit availability, so a locator hit by itself is not enough for travel planning. Confirm the person is at Michael Unit, then use TDCJ visitation instructions and the unit contact for practical details.
| Requirement | Michael Unit Visitor Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Custody status | Confirm current unit in the TDCJ locator | Transfers can change the right facility |
| Approval | Follow TDCJ visitor approval rules | Unapproved visitors may be denied |
| Schedule | Use TDCJ visitation directions and unit guidance | Dates and times depend on prison operations |
| Arrival rules | Bring required ID and obey dress and property limits | Prison entry rules are enforced at the unit |
Do not use the Anderson County Jail visitation scheduler for Michael Unit. The county jail uses local processes for pretrial custody. Michael Unit is a TDCJ prison, and TDCJ controls prison visitor approval and scheduling. Note: Confirm visitor eligibility and the inmate's current unit before leaving for Tennessee Colony.
Mark W. Michael Mail and Deposits
Mail and money for Mark W. Michael Unit should follow TDCJ's prison framework. The research file states that TDCJ facilities use TDCJ visitation, mail, deposit, and eCommDirect systems, not the Anderson County Jail's JailATM, NCIC messaging, or local mail-scanning procedures. That difference is practical. Sending money through a county jail vendor for a TDCJ prisoner can fail or delay support, and mail sent in the wrong format may not reach the person.
| Service | Use for Mark W. Michael Unit |
|---|---|
| TDCJ inmate mail format with unit-specific rules | |
| Phone and messages | TDCJ prison communication systems |
| Trust deposits | TDCJ deposit options for state prisoners |
| Commissary | TDCJ commissary and eCommDirect eligibility where available |
Before sending mail or funds, match the inmate's name and identifier to the TDCJ locator. If the profile shows another unit, use the new unit's address and rules. State prison movement is common enough that the current facility field should control over memory, rumor, or an old county jail record.
Mark W. Michael Intake
Michael Unit intake is not the start of a local criminal case. Street arrests are booked through local custody, then court and transfer steps determine whether a person later enters TDCJ. Once a sentenced prisoner is in TDCJ custody, classification and placement determine the unit. At Michael, custody levels can include G1 through G5, Security Detention, and Safekeeping, so housing and privileges can vary by status.
Key terms help keep the search path clear. TDCJ means the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. SID is a state identification number. Security detention is a more restrictive prison status. Safekeeping is custody designed to protect certain prisoners. A detainer is a hold or request from another agency. None of those terms means the person is on an Anderson County public jail roster.
About Mark W. Michael
Mark W. Michael Unit came on line in September 1987 and is one of several TDCJ facilities in Anderson County. Its location near Tennessee Colony places it near Coffield, Beto, Gurney, and Powledge. The county's detention footprint can confuse searches because a person may be in the local county jail, a TDCJ prison, federal custody, immigration custody, or a court case record after release. Michael Unit belongs to the TDCJ state-prison category.
The research file lists ACA accreditation since January 2008 and TDCJ staffing that includes Windham Education employees and contract medical and mental-health staff. Those details provide prison-program context without promising a specific class, treatment slot, job, or housing assignment for any individual inmate. Current prison operations, visitor procedures, and warden listings should be verified through TDCJ because they can change.
Note: TDCJ locator data is at least 24 hours old, so verify urgent status questions with the unit.