What should have been a routine visit by a three-year-old longing to see his father turned into, according to the family of Lino Lakes inmate Marquis Rollins, an unsettling experience in December of 2023.
Rollins’ mother, Sharon Brooks, says her daughter-in-law told her that her grandson was whining and crying and that it was hard to get him to stop. “He’s three years old. Sometimes they get agitated or want to have their way.”
Brooks continued, “And the guard, Officer Motyl, gave a final warning standing over my son (Rollins), demanding that he make the child stop in five minutes, or else the visit was over.”
The daughter-in-law explained that she couldn’t get the toddler to calm down in the allotted time and began trying to gather the children, comfort her husband, and regroup herself during the upheaval. Brooks added, “I’m told that Marquis was also trying to do the same for his wife and children and may have delayed standing up when instructed by Officer Motyl.”
In response to the question of when the family learned of Rollins’ new visitation restrictions, his wife said she was never informed of any procedure that would limit visits for her husband. Rollins was not informed of an infraction that limited his visitation privilege for six months.
“In fact,” explained Brooks, I was informed that my son’s visits were restricted on January 29 when I drove up there to visit. There was nothing officially written on this matter for weeks. And the only way my son was notified was through me.”
However, Brooks believes there is more to this situation. More specifically, she says that Officer Motyl has also targeted the six- and one-year-olds on other occasions for behavior issues in the visiting room. “I’m told that there were also 11 violations against my son that involved his minor children within a single month. This seems discretionary and arbitrarily selective, targeting my son and his children.”
According to the mother, the restrictions highlight a flaw in the prison’s visitor policy, which she claims is also applied inconsistently and lacks transparency. “To separate families because of the behavior of a visiting minor is outrageous and uncalled for,” she stated, expressing her disbelief and frustration over the situation. She also voiced concerns about how such policies might affect other families, potentially exacerbating the challenge they face while their loved ones are incarcerated.
Brooks also spoke to Officer Motyl and informed him of how disrespectful she felt he had been to her, her son, and the children. “He informed me that the decision had been made.”
She also contacted the MN Ombuds of Corrections office, which, within five days, decided to agree with the MN DOC’s decision. Brooks then contacted the Assistant Warden of MCF-Lino Lakes, who said there was nothing she could do since her boss, Warden Shannon Reinmann, had made the final decision.
Commissioner Paul Schnell issued the following written statement:
“The characterization that visiting privileges were revoked based on the actions of a child is patently inaccurate. Discussing the details of specific incidents in the media is inappropriate. The Department of Correction’s policies and procedures exist to maintain a safe environment for all who live, visit, and work in our facilities.’’
On March 21, Brooks held a press conference outside Lino Lakes. She was joined by the City of God Kingdom Ministry Church and community advocate groups JIIVE, IWOC, Peace of Hope, and Rollin’s five-year-old nephew, Julius.
The incident at Lino Lakes Correctional sparks broader discussion about the balance between maintaining order within prisons and upholding the rights of inmates and their families to maintain contact, once thought to be a crucial aspect of rehabilitation. According to the MN-DOC website, Rollins will be released in June 2025.
There are several things Brooks would like to see happen, including (1) Immediate reinstatement of visiting privileges for Mr. Rollins, (2) A public apology to Rollins for the wrong done to him by MN-DOC’s undocumented procedure limiting his visits, (3) Amend Policy 302.100 where it would allow fairness to prisoners who have visitors age seven years or younger, and (4) Hire her for the open position of MN DOC Policy Specialist.
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