The head of the union representing Michigan corrections officers has called on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deploy the National Guard to help alleviate staffing shortages in the state’s prisons.
in letter In a July 3 statement, Michigan Corrections President Byron Osborn addressed the plight of his members, arguing that long hours and mandatory overtime are preventing employees from “living normal, healthy lives with their families.”
“It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed.”
Osborne also once said:spirit“Efforts to defund police ignore the problem,” he said. “Under your watch, our state’s corrections officers continue to suffer more than any other state employee in Michigan’s history,” he wrote.
“No other public servant has been in this situation.”
Osborne also detailed “dangerous” conditions in state prisons and suggested Gov. Whitmer and other state leaders may have a distorted view of daily life in correctional facilities.
“Contrary to popular belief, state prisons are not cushy facilities filled with well-paid staff churning out rehabilitated inmates,” Osborne said.
Instead, Osborn said, prisons are overrun with gangs and “spoiled” inmates, and officials are shackled by rules issued by the Michigan Department of Corrections that limit the use of “prisoner discipline” and segregation measures such as solitary confinement.
Osborne then encouraged Whitmer to visit prisons and experience the harsh conditions there for herself. “I’d be happy to take you to a couple of prisons, so you can talk to the officers, not the administration,” Osborne said.
by Detroit Free PressMichigan has about 33,000 state inmates in 26 different facilities, and about half of them are understaffed by 20 percent, while about a fifth are understaffed by more than 30 percent, Osborn said, much of it due to attrition.
“People are resigning in droves,” Osborne argued.
Osborne has discussed using the National Guard to address personnel shortages in 2022 but has stopped short of calling for it. He now says the Guard has reached a “point of desperation.”
“On behalf of all state corrections officials our organization represents, I formally request that you mobilize the Michigan National Guard to provide immediate custody support to prisons in dire need. In the meantime, we will continue to work directly with you to find practical and permanent relief,” he said.
The National Guard was deployed to Michigan prisons several years ago to help with COVID-19 vaccinations. When the National Guard is deployed on security duty, they likely won’t carry firearms in case of an emergency, since most correctional officers in Michigan are unarmed.
Either way, Whitmer and other state officials appear not to plan on responding to Osborne’s request to deploy the National Guard. A spokesperson for Osborne’s office did not respond to the Free Press’s request for comment, but MDOC maintained that the problem requires a permanent solution, not a “temporary” one like the National Guard, which “is not trained to operate in this type of environment.”
““The department and other stakeholders must continue to focus on efforts to stabilize the workforce for the long term, including promoting the benefits of a corrections career,” the MDOC statement continued, “which includes playing an active role in keeping communities safe, making a difference in people’s lives, and the ability to reach a maximum annual salary of $68,500 in just three and a half years of service.”
But Osborne hopes leaders will rethink this idea. “It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed,” he said.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get stories like this one directly to your inbox. Register here!
