Warden Michelle Floyd
3100 Cooper St.
Jackson, MI 49201
Directions (Bing Maps)
General questions and visiting applications: mdoc-cooperstreet-public@michigan.gov
Telephone: 517-780-6175
Open: 1997
Gender/Age Limit: Males, 18 and older
Security Level: Secure Level I
This facility is the former Michigan Parole Camp in Jackson and is located across the street from the old State Prison of Southern Michigan. It was expanded, with an increase in security and capacity (1752 beds), to create a Secure Level I prison which opened in July of 1997.
Cooper Street also serves as a release facility for prisoners who are about to parole, discharge, or transfer to community center placement.
The facility is an active member of the Department's Community Liaison Committee in the Jackson County area and maintains open lines of communication between the community and prison administration.
Academic programming includes Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Degree (GED), higher education development and degrees from Jackson College, MSU Inside/Out Program and U of M Programming. Various religious organizations are available through outside volunteer’s assistance and inhouse chaplain. Other community organizations include PAWS for a cause, JCS Garden Program, Veterans, and Men of Merit. JCS offers the MDOC core evidence-based programming such as Advance Substance Abuse Treatment, MIVPP, Employment Readiness, Pre-Release, Michigan Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (MSAPP), Violence Prevention Program (VPP), and Thinking for a Change. Cooper Street Correctional Facility is designated as the In-Reach Facility for offenders who have been granted a P-70 parole that are returning to region 8: Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties.
Routine medical and dental services are provided on site. Serious medical problems may be treated at either Duane L. Waters Health Center or Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital.
The Cooper Street Correctional Facility partners with Jackson College and Siena Heights University to offer incarcerated students the opportunity to earn several different certificates, associate degrees, and a bachelor’s degree option. Jackson College credentials include Certificates in Public Administration and Management, as well as Business Management. Associate degrees include an Associate of Arts in Science, an Associate of Arts in Business Administration, and an Associate of Arts in General Studies. Siena Heights University offers a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree.
The Special Alternative Incarceration (SAI) program is a structured 90 day correctional option created by the State of Michigan as an alternative to traditional prison for eligible, non violent offenders. Started in 1988 for male probationers, it later expanded to include prisoners and women, with the men’s program now located at Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson and the women’s program at Women’s Huron Valley.
SAI follows Michigan’s focus on rehabilitation, accountability, and public safety. It uses strict eligibility rules to ensure participants are appropriate for the program. The environment is paramilitary style, emphasizing structure, discipline, and personal responsibility. Participants—called trainees—follow a demanding schedule that includes physical training, behavioral programming, work assignments, and no personal electronics.
The program centers on evidence based cognitive behavioral treatment through the Cognitive Core Intervention (CCI) and Substance Use Treatment Intervention (SUTI). CCI teaches trainees to recognize and change criminal thinking patterns, while SUTI helps those with substance use needs understand their triggers and develop skills for sobriety. Additional elective programs and educational opportunities—such as GED prep, computer skills, journaling, and work assignments—support personal growth and practical skill building.
SAI operates within the MDOC three phase incarceration and reentry model, covering both Phase I (behavior stabilization and skill building) and Phase II (transition and release preparation). Tools like COMPAS and the Case Plan help tailor programming to each Trainee’s risks and needs.
By combining structure, treatment, education, and reentry preparation, SAI offers a cost effective approach that has shown strong results in reducing recidivism and helping participants return to the community as productive citizens.
As a Secure Level I facility, JCS has two high chain-link fences, rolls of razor ribbon wire, a perimeter detection system, and an armed perimeter security vehicle (ARV) patrolling the outside grounds. There is also an alert response vehicle available for backup to the ARV if necessary.
