LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The shortage of corrections officers (COs) working in U.P. facilities has left workers exhausted, pushing officers to speak up about the dangerous situations they’re facing and to ask lawmakers to take action.
The president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, Byron Osborn said they’ve been working closely with state lawmakers, encouraging them to introduce new policies that will make the CO job more attractive, and keep people working in prisons.
“This is what is going on. This is what’s going on in people’s families and this cannot be allowed to continue. We have an obligation to take care of these people.” State Representative Dave Prestin said. “You’re in a pressure cooker environment. You gotta have your head on a swivel because you never know where the next threat or the next volatile situation is going to occur. To just be taking no action on this is it’s just unacceptable. It’s almost criminal in and of itself to put people in this situation.”
State representatives in the U.P. had the chance to tour correctional facilities, learning firsthand what issues CO’s face on a daily basis: Not having the staff to fill all the necessary positions, staying hours after their shift was scheduled to end to keep enough people on staff, and having to deny inmates yard time: which has created a more high-stress environment all around.
State Representative Jenn Hill introduced a bill last week that will roll back education requirements to become a CO. The director of the Department of Corrections said Hill’s bill will have an immediate, positive, impact in addressing staffing challenges, but other lawmakers said it’s not nearly enough to have any impact.
“There are many people, retirees, and workers who have told me again and again how the lack of staff just isn’t going to work,” Hill said. “Recognizing these new economic realities is important.”
“I’d like to thank the legislature for recognizing the unique needs of our department, as well as our current staff who continue to do a remarkable job while we work together to tackle staffing challenges,” said MDOC Director Heidi Washington. “Removing prerequisite limitations on our recruitment pool to focus on hands-on training is one of many key department initiatives to improve staffing levels and reduce overtime at facilities across the state.”
State Senator Ed McBroom said the department has only been willing to address recruitment efforts, something he said is only a part of the problem. He’s calling for improvements to pay, benefits, and pensions; a solution that would have to be introduced in the legislature.
“Why are we hiding from this? We have a problem, let’s admit it. let’s do something. I’m frustrated with the reluctance from the agency to just deal with this problem in its entirety, straightforward and honestly.” McBroom said. “As much as we need legislative solutions to the intermediate shortage and the long-term problem of employment. There’s an immediate crisis that has to be really settled administratively. The administration just seems completely unwilling to address why that’s happening and why the long-term workers that we’ve had are giving up on the job.”
All of the lawmakers agree: a change needs to be made to improve pay and benefits for officers, but McBroom said immediate action from the doc is just as important. He said he’s supporting officers who have called on the state to supplement staff with police officers or National Guard members to bring more instant relief to staffing shortages.
