LANSING, Michigan – The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced a major expansion of high‑security prison housing that will add 870 beds and improve accessibility for incarcerated individuals with disabilities. The initiative, part of MDOC’s Safe Prisons Initiative, is designed to better match prisoners to appropriate security levels, enhance safety for corrections employees, and support the state’s staffing needs.
New Construction and Conversions
Funding of $152 million for fiscal year 2027 has been secured for two new construction projects at Oaks Correctional Facility near Manistee and St. Louis Correctional Facility in Gratiot County. Together, the projects will create more than 400 new Level IV and Level V/segregation beds. Construction is expected to take roughly two and a half years, with completion projected for 2030.
In addition to new construction, MDOC is converting existing units to higher‑security classifications. At Macomb Correctional Facility, a lower‑security unit will become Level IV housing, adding 182 beds and slated for completion on September 18. Oaks Correctional Facility will convert internal space to produce a 192‑bed Level IV unit and a 96‑bed Level V unit by the end of 2026. A Level II general‑population unit at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia is being transformed into a Protective Housing Unit, preserving protective‑housing capacity after the Oaks conversions.
Accessibility Improvements
MDOC is also upgrading 30 cells at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, providing barrier‑free housing for prisoners with accessibility needs. This work is expected to be finished by early January 2027.
Leadership Emphasis on Safety
MDOC Director Heidi Washington emphasized that the additional capacity will ensure prisoners are housed at the security level appropriate to their circumstances. “When we have the right housing to support individuals throughout their course of incarceration, we create safer facilities for staff and increase the success of those housed there,” Washington said in the department’s announcement.
Washington noted that Michigan’s prison population is continually changing, and the current housing transitions will provide immediate operational improvements while the new construction addresses longer‑term needs.
Union Concerns and Staffing Realities
The Michigan Corrections Organization, represented by President Byron Osborn, welcomed the added beds but raised concerns about the timeline and staffing. Osborn warned that the construction schedule means the new capacity will not solve immediate security challenges, citing recent assaults and prisoner homicides.
He also highlighted a staff vacancy rate of about 14.5 % at St. Louis Correctional Facility, questioning how the department will fill additional assignments required by the new high‑security units. MDOC spokesperson Jenni Riehle declined to comment on the staffing issue pending ongoing investigations.
Public‑Safety Impact
By expanding high‑security housing and improving accessibility, the state aims to reduce the practice of placing prisoners with serious misconduct violations in lower‑security settings, a concern raised by the union. The added Level V and single‑cell options are expected to enhance protection for both staff and inmates, aligning with the department’s goal of safer correctional facilities.
Overall, the expansion represents a significant investment in Michigan’s correctional infrastructure, addressing safety, classification, and staffing challenges while supporting the state’s broader public‑safety objectives.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
