THE WRONGFUL INCARCERATION OF (ERIN) MIKHAEL POWELL

Another young black male wrongfully arrested in Mississippi, Mikhael(Erin) Powell my youngest brother at the age of 17. Was wrongfully arrested and is currently incarcerated at the Hattiesburg Police Dept. The charge is arson. He's being held on a $250,000.00 bond for the fire of the Old Hattiesburg High School building, which was one of the cities oldest landmarks. The Police Dept. along with the Fire Marshalls officers saw fit to arrest my brother on the 1st day of the 2007-08 school year. This arsson that's in question came a mere week after 2 other arsons that happened here in Hattiesburg during the summer of 2007. The location of this arson took place on the same major street of the city along with the other 2 arsons. The third and the most eye-opening similarity with this arson is that the very SAME ACCELERANT was determined by the local Fire Dept.,here in Hattiesburg, as the cause of the fire.



A white-man later turned himself in to the Hattiesburg Police Dept. and confessed to the other 2 arsons. Without any evidence, only hear-say,Mikhael was arrested and charged with this crime for being an innocent person who along with a dozen more people stood by and watched the building as it was burning to the ground. Later another young black male(16 yrs.old) was also arrested and charged with this heinous crime.



As a people of color, a citizen of the city of Hattiesburg, and a person of integrity it is time to come together,stand up,and put a stop to this injustice that strips our young, black youths lives away from them and thier families. Not only their lives ,but their chances of obtaining the AMERICAN DREAM, without any real hope for the future of living in this society as an known felon. Stopping them from getting the better paying jobs to erichen their lives to hopefully not have to bring their kids up in a poverish neighborhood with a poor mind state depending on the gov. for benefits and a lower way of life. I'm asking us to come together,not only for my younger brother Mikhael, but for all the people mistreated and stepped on by the crooked justice system like the thousands did in Jena, La.



Please sign this petition and may God bless you. For the sake of our childen and their children.