Corrections officers union asks Gov. Whitmer to deploy National Guard due to staffing shortages in Michigan prisons

(CBS DETROIT) - A union that represents Michigan corrections officers asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday to deploy the National Guard to help understaffed prisons.

Byron Osborn, the president of the Michigan Corrections Organization - SEIU Local 526M, said in a letter to Whitmer that she needs to "take working conditions that have persisted and worsened" throughout her time as governor.

The letter says that corrections officers have to work mandatory 16-hour overtime shifts per week, and have to run prison operations with "far less" than the number of officers required.

Osborn said officers often have to work in isolated areas by themselves, jeopardizing safety. The prisoners have "taken advantage of lax MDOC policies on prisoner discipline, classification, and use of segregation," and are "being coddled at the expense of officer safety," according to the letter.

"The conditions I've described to you are real," said Osborn. "If you are skeptical and wish to see for yourself, I'll gladly escort you inside several of your prisons so you can speak directly with your corrections officers, not the administration, about the conditions."

Corrections officers have allegedly been working to find solutions from the legislature and the Michigan Department of Corrections for years to no avail, and are desperate for help now.

"On behalf of all the state corrections officers represented by our organization, I am formally requesting that you activate the Michigan National Guard to provide immediate custody support to prisons in dire need of it while we work directly with you to find realistic, permanent relief measures," said Osborn. "We hope you're listening."

The state's corrections department released a statement following the letter, saying it is appreciative of their staff, and acknowledging the staffing issues prisons are facing.

As of April, the vacancy levels at prisons were between 4.3% and 36.3%. To address the staffing shortage, the state negotiated raises totaling 18% since October 2020  for prison officers. This has only helped the issue at some facilities, according to the corrections department.

In response to the staffing shortages, the department has allowed previously certified prison officers work overtime voluntarily, closed housing units at facilities with higher staff vacancies.

The department said the "temporary measure" activating National Guard members who haven't been trained to work in this environment isn't a solution.

The situation facing MDOC staff continues to be challenging, but the solution is not a temporary measure such as bringing in National Guard members who have not been trained to operate in this environment," the department said in its statement. "The Department and other stakeholders need to remain focused on efforts that can stabilize staffing in the long-term, including promoting the benefits of a career in Corrections."