North Michigan News

State lawmakers and labor union representatives are urging immediate action to address critical staffing shortages in Michigan’s prisons. State Sen. Ed McBroom, along with state Reps. Dave Prestin and Greg Markkanen, called on Tuesday for Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) Director Heidi Washington to take urgent measures amid escalating crises at the state's correctional facilities.

Recent disturbances at the Baraga Correctional Facility have caused substantial damage, and assaults on officers have increased across all five Upper Peninsula MDOC prisons.

"Director Washington has failed to fix or even address the damning staffing shortages within our prisons," said McBroom, R-Waucedah Township. "I have been warning the state for more than 10 years about the dangers of administration policies that are making our prisons more dangerous for both prisoners and state employees."

McBroom’s Oversight Committee has previously criticized MDOC for its lack of transparency regarding employee assaults and misuse of overtime rules during meetings held in 2021 and 2022. Many officers are currently working over 80 hours per week, including shifts exceeding 32 hours within two days.

"The committee found the department has a penchant for altering definitions of recidivism, assaults and disturbances; the security level of inmates; and even court-ordered demands for drug distribution," McBroom stated. "It is always a new spin from them to avoid accountability and make it appear things are just fine."

Last month, a union representing corrections officers requested that the governor deploy the National Guard to alleviate staffing shortages in Michigan prisons. Byron Osborn, President of the Michigan Corrections Organization, highlighted hazardous working conditions such as unsafe prisoner-to-officer ratios, excessive forced overtime shifts, and lenient discipline policies that compromise officer safety.

A special edition of the Michigan Correction Organization’s newsletter reported 13 significant incidents involving violence between inmates and corrections officers at Baraga Correctional Facility from July 1 through July 17. During this period, nine instances occurred where staff shortages led to lockdowns or canceled yard periods, heightening tensions between staff and inmates.

"Corrections officers cannot continue at this pace," said Markkanen, R-Hancock. "Staffing shortages have caused countless violations of [the policy requiring] at least 32 hours between mandatory overtime shifts." He further mentioned an internal survey conducted five years ago revealing that 140 corrections officers were considering suicide due to their challenging work conditions.

To address these issues, McBroom introduced Senate Bills 156 and 157 aimed at providing corrections officers with a retirement plan similar to that offered to Michigan State Police troopers. This plan includes a combination of pension benefits and defined contributions supported by both Markkanen and Prestin. The legislators also advocate for pay increases and additional benefits for corrections officers.

Drawing from his experience as a Menominee County commissioner, Prestin suggested redirecting funds used for overtime towards increasing wages as a potential solution. "Raising wages is key to solving the staffing shortage," said Prestin, R-Cedar River. He emphasized that higher wages had successfully attracted more corrections officers in Menominee County while reducing training costs associated with high turnover rates.

"In today’s economy, prospective employees are attracted by wages more than any part of a benefits package," he added. "As head of MDOC, Director Washington has been unable to solve the disaster within her department. If she can’t find the answers, the governor needs to find someone who can."