The Michigan Department of Corrections has been short staffed for several years now. Retirements, lower starting salaries and benefits, and a new generation of potential employers who don't want to be without their phones for hours at a time are making it difficult for the department to hire much needed corrections officers. Furthermore, low morale, excessive mandatory overtime, and a sudden plethora of other good paying jobs are making it difficult for the department to retain the staff they already have.
Now, the recent Covid-19 infection spike, likely due to the omicron variant, is worsening the staffing shortages. Already stressed out and overworked corrections officers are being mandated to work several days of overtime every week. Even non-custody staff are working overtime as corrections officers to fill the large gaps of missing employees.
Recently, Governor Whitmer announced her approval to use the National Guard to fill in as corrections officers in order to keep prison facilities "running safely." While the federal government has utilized the unique circumstances of this pandemic to cut sentences of some of its inmates to reduce the federal prison population, Governor Whitmer, instead, is holding fast. Despite the death of hundreds of Michigan prisoners and staff members due to Covid-19 spreading in the close confines of prison settings, Michigan's prisons are still overcrowded, and Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature still refuse to make prison conditions safer by reducing the population.
Michigan has reduced its prison population in the last few years, mainly by changing parole violation rules, but its prisons are still overcrowded. Prisons built for hundreds of prisoners now house double their rated capacities, conditions ripe for the spread of a pandemic. If these are not the conditions for use of Governor Whitmer's emergency Executive powers, I don't know what are.
The Michigan Legislature has refused to consider several "good time" bills in its recent session, kicking the issue down the road as it has for years. Now, a grassroots effort is, yet again, underway to use the power of voters to make necessary changes. If the legislature and our Governor won't use their powers to further reduce our state's prison population and make conditions safer, perhaps a ballot initiative can make it happen. As soon as I have more information on how you can sign this important petition, I will post it here.
Too many prisoners have died because of their exposure to Covid-19 in one of the highest risk conditions--a prison setting. Since so many corrections officer and non-custody staff are also being forced to spend more time in these conditions, it's no wonder many of them are looking for other places to work. Fortunately for them, they have that choice, while we residents of prison do not.
It's time for Michigan to start taking the lives of their incarcerated citizens seriously. Sending in the National Guard is not going to make those of us who live in prison any safer from a pandemic that is taking lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment here