MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – UPDATE 3/15/24: The Michigan Department of Corrections has released an update on the situation at the Marquette Branch Prison.
According to the press release, Level I and Level V activities have occurred at the facility since the incident that happen yesterday. A small number of administrative segregation prisoners remained disruptive in their cells over the past 24 hours. These disruptions include trying to start small fires, and throwing materials, including bodily waste, at staff.
Several of the disruptive prisoners have now been transferred to other MDOC facilities around the state. The MDOC will be requesting prosecution and restitution from those that are found to have assaulted staff or damaged state property.
The situation will continue to be monitored closely throughout the weekend.
The MDOC says that the staff has worked to keep the unit safe during this period while dealing with the behavior, and would like to thank their staff at Marquette Branch Prison, as well as staff assisting with transfers, for their work keeping colleagues and the state safe.
The Marquette Branch Prison is under restrictions following a series of fires and assaults on the staff in the past few days.
During the early evening hours of Wednesday, March 13, multiple prisoners in the administrative segregation units at the Marquette Branch Prison started fires in their cells. This followed several assaults targeting staff, as well as three in-cell fires in the unit, in the preceding two days. Staff responded and extinguished the fires.
Due to smoke in the unit, prisoners in surrounding cells were evacuated by staff to other areas of the facility, including an adjacent closed housing unit and the prisoner yard modules.
Two employees and one prisoner were taken to the local hospital as a result of potential smoke inhalation. The two employees have been treated and released, while the prisoner remains hospitalized.
Two cells have been temporarily removed from service due to damage, but the units are otherwise operational.
As the process of returning prisoners to their cells began, some prisoners were verbally resistant to staff direction to be escorted back into the unit, including directing threats at staff. Additional staff was called to the facility to support the staff that were present. This included staff from the Marquette Branch Prison, and roughly a dozen staff from other facilities that serve on the MDOC’s Emergency Response Team (ERT). After additional communication from staff, all prisoners were escorted back to their cells without incident. The ERT members have returned to their facilities.
At this time, the Marquette Branch Prison is under restricted prisoner movement in the impacted units and will remain in that status today for the safety of prisoners and staff. The MDOC says it wants to thank the staff for their dedication and professionalism over the past few days at the Marquette Branch Prison.
