Michigan’s prisons are understaffed and overcrowded
On July 3, 2024, Corrections Union President Byron Osborn “sounded the alarm” announcing prisons are dangerously understaffed and unsafe, and calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deploy the National Guard as a temporary solution until permanent measures can be taken.
The department owns and operates 26 prison complexes, 17 of which are pole-barn 20×15 cubicle settings built as temporary housing of four prisoners per cubicle in the early 1990s. Over the past 30 years, due to changes in Michigan’s sentencing practices, the enactment of Truth-In-Sentencing, the closure of several prisons, and more people entering than going home, there are now eight prisoners crammed into the 20×15 living space – subjecting them to deplorable and dangerous living conditions!
Cube cellmates cannot be off their bunks at the same time without bumping into each other. They cannot sit and study at a writing surface without having to move to allow cellmates to exit or access their living quarters. Long waiting line to use the utilities. Poor ventilation, causing respiratory illnesses. Virus and Infectious diseases cannot be contained. When one gets sick, we all get sick. Chronic health care visits, dentist appointments, and hospital visits are months behind.
According to federal law, prisoners are required a certain amount of cubic space. These complexes were in compliance with federal law when they were housing four prisoners. Michigan’s Legislature forced the department to double-bunk and violate federal law due to their barbaric sentencing policies.
Currently, there are several criminal justice reform bills sitting in various legislative committees that would abolish this cruel and Inhumane practice by releasing those incarcerated citizens who are now law-abiding citizens, instead of warehousing them like we are living in 1779.
~ Mario Smith
Kinross Correctional Facility
Lack of rehabilitation lets down victims
The political rhetoric from our lawmakers has become unbearable and, quite frankly, intellectually offensive. We too often hear our lawmakers claim that victims’ rights are principal, which I undeniably believe is true, when trying to negotiate laws geared towards incentivizing good behavior for incarcerated citizens. However, logically speaking, victims’ rights are the least involved element in our lawmakers’ decision-making and MDOC board meetings.
Reasons being, there’s no correction being done to criminal behavior when people enter prison. People with long or indeterminate sentences or lifers are excluded from most programs that can transform them for the better. Those individuals who are sentenced to a short term of years don’t start taking meaningful classes until they are within a year or two of their early release date (ERD). This is a deliberately placed stumbling block on the road to reintegration. To believe people can change “decades of distorted thinking” in a year’s time is unreasonable. Most incarcerated citizens sit in prison atrophying mentally, emotionally and spiritually for most of the duration of being incarcerated. This creates more grounds for them to cover when they do finally get into programs.
The system is not only failing these individuals who they are supposed to be helping, based on their idea of being deemed a correctional institution. They are also failing victims and society as a whole by not intending to transform these broken individuals they call criminals. Nevertheless, this dereliction of duties carries more closer pernicious consequences than lawmakers foresee. Because every time a criminal mindset goes unaddressed and untreated, a prison staff member and/or correctional officer’s life and wellbeing is placed in jeopardy. Especially when there is no incentive to do good and no understanding and awareness on how to overcome spiritual, mental and emotional immaturity. It seems our currently designed criminal justice system is trying to help victims while unconsciously creating new victims. This doesn’t seem efficacious towards restorative justice. So let’s call it for what it is…. Michigan is in the business of warehousing people who have been convicted for crimes.
~ Michael B Putman
Ionia Correctional Facility
Justice system needs corrections
The Michigan justice system needs lots of corrections. If you get caught up in the system you will have a lot of trouble getting out. (Once you’re in, it’s hard getting out). This system they have wants you trapped. The stuff that happens to inmates is cruel and unusual punishment. The system is corrupted. The correctional officers have physical and mental problems. They need to be evaluated before having a MDOC title. PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) situations need to be responded to with urgency and taken seriously. The prison method of dealing with the problem is riding you to another prison or putting the officer on leave with pay. MDOC applications should say, “Those who want this particular job must meet this criteria in order to apply: Must have a psychological screening and must be able to work with people. Understand them and know the feeling of being separated from the world and loved ones. You have to seriously care about people and be a people person.”
The housing they have for the inmates is in humane for being in the United States. They give no bleach during this day in time. When germs, sickness and dirt is everywhere we go and look. Without having the main necessary things needed in order to keep the prisons clean they should be closed. Inmates are not safe plus the officers if the conditions remain the same. Until the problem is fixed, there will steadily be more problems appearing.
The (Prison Beneficial Fund) is supposed to be used for the prisoners’ needs or recreational purposes, not pocketed by MDOC. The biggest question is, if inmates are in custody by the state, then why are inmates getting charged for their medical care? The state is getting paid good money, so why take mine?
~ Dartagnan Turner
Cooper Street Correctional Facility
Monopolies hurt people who are incarcerated
The definition of monopoly is: exclusive ownership through legal privilege, command of supply, or concerted action. In prison, we have several different vendors that we can purchase clothing from. However. There is only one vendor that we are allowed to purchase food and hygiene from: Keefe. This company is allowed a position of monopoly because they are the sole provider for the supplemental things we must in order to maintain a somewhat healthy existence while in prison.
Now we are being told that Keefe is raising the prices again in the prisoner store, with no other vendors to choose from. We as prisoners are forced to sacrifice between getting hygiene, vitamins, medications or food items.
Just an FYI. I thought the law prevented these types of atrocities from occurring. It appears it is OK to allow a company to monopolize prisoners because we are not considered humans.
~ Deangelo Jones
Newberry Correctional Facility