Michigan correctional officer calls on governor to send National Guard to prisons

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Michigan corrections official has asked Governor Gretchen Whitmer to send the Michigan National Guard to prisons across the state.

Byron Osborn is the president of the Michigan Corrections Organization.

He expressed concern about staff shortages in Michigan’s prisons.

“Imagine your boss says at the end of your workday, ‘Hey, we need you for eight more hours,’ and the day after tomorrow he tells you that again and that’s not voluntary overtime, that’s mandatory overtime. You can’t leave,” Osborn said.

According to Osborn, many officers are so exhausted that it is downright dangerous.

“Ideally, we should be alert and physically rested to do our jobs,” Osborn said. “Even under the best conditions, these jobs are inherently dangerous.”

Earlier this week, Osborn wrote a letter asking Whitmer to activate the Michigan National Guard to ease the burden.

He also offered a tour of several prisons so that the governor could see for herself the conditions there.

Rep. Sarah Lightner (R – 45th District) points the finger at the leadership of the Department of Corrections and says something needs to change.

“I think it’s a slap in the face to correctional officers this year that they completely eliminated the $12 million in pay and bonuses,” Lightner said. “I mean, what does that tell them?”

Osborn hopes lawmakers can help him.

“Our elected officials – and I’m not just talking about the governor, but the House and the Senate – need to take realistic action and pass legislation to improve the benefits package, in our opinion, and put it on par with the federal prison system or the Michigan State Police, for example,” Osborn said.

The Michigan Department of Corrections stated, among other things, that it has been struggling with staffing problems in some communities for years, requiring employees to work “large amounts” of both voluntary and mandatory overtime.

They made the following statement:

News Channel 3 reached out to the governor’s office for comment but did not receive a response.