The union representing corrections officers at State prisons is sounding the alarm about poor conditions at the Chippewa Correctional Facility in the eastern Upper Peninsula. They are citing a lack of staff and the stalling of a plan that would expand pensions for officers.
A letter from the Michigan Corrections Organization says in June, there were 28 prison fights, 20 incidents of prisoners assaulted by other prisoners and a dozen assaults on corrections officers.
They also say threats are common, with 13 incidents where prisoners threatened officers. In addition, they cite 59 instances of prisoners being caught with “dangerous contraband or weapons.”
Drugs like synthetic marijuana are being smuggled inside the facility are an issue according to the union, causing further safety concerns.
Union president Byron Osborn says there are hundreds of staff vacancies at UP prisons, creating an unsafe environment.
"So those things are obviously very dangerous because that's less staff to respond to incidents and less staff to run the normal operations," he said.
“The Chippewa facility alone is over 100 officers short,” Osborn said. “The facility in Munising is 70 some offices short The Marquette Prison, the Baraga prison, are both approximately 70 officers down.”
Osborn says that there aren’t nearly enough new recruits. The union says officers put in 1,930 overtime shifts at the Chippewa facility last month.
“Not only are the officers forced to work 16-hour shifts, but they are also being forced to do it on consecutive days, in many cases for up to 5 days in a row,” the letter says.
A bipartisan bill passed the state legislature that would have added officers to the state police hybrid pension plan.
The last state House speaker, Democrat Joe Tate, didn't send the bill to the Governor before the end of the legislative session. And the new house speaker Republican Matt Hall, still, hasn't sent the bill to the Governor for her signature.
There is an active lawsuit in the state Court of Appeals over whether the bill should be sent to the Governor. State Senate Democrats are suing the House GOP in hopes of getting the bills to Whitmer.
“We're extremely frustrated with the entire system,” Osborn said regarding the stalling, “We think it's dirty politics and we want answers.”
Despite bipartisan support for the bill, Osborn said he hasn’t heard much from politicians, besides Senate Republicans John DaMoose (R-Harbor Springs) and Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah) since the bill was stalled.
Osborn says corrections officer resignations are beginning to trend up.
“Politics are being played here with the lives of 5,000 corrections officers and 30,000 prisoners, and another 7,000 employees that also work in the prisons, teachers, nurses, administrators,” he said.
The Michigan Department of Corrections, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
