Michigan Corrections Unveils Reorganization of Facilities; Five Camps, Three Prisons to Close

CSG) Justice Center. The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) today unveiled a sweeping reorganization of its correctional facilities designed to ensure public safety while achieving significant cost savings.  The reorganization reflects some of the recommendations called for in the governor's 2010 executive budget and is consistent with findings of year-long and unprecedented review of Michigan's crime and corrections data by the non-partisan Council of State Governments (

The reorganization is expected to reduce prison spending by $120 million, which will go toward reducing the state's $1.4 billion general fund deficit in the 2010 fiscal year.

"Our top priority is public safety, and that is at the core of every decision we make in operating our state correctional facilities," said Corrections Director Patricia Caruso.  "But just as we are committed to the public's safety, we are also committed to spending their tax dollars wisely and in ways that make sense.  The reorganization we are unveiling today makes sense from a public safety and budget perspective."

Under the MDOC reorganization five camps will be closed, signaling an end to the MDOC Camp Program.  They include:  

• Camp Cusino in Shingleton
• Camp Kitwen in Painesdale
• Camp Lehman in Grayling
• Camp Ottawa in Iron River
• Camp White Lake in White Lake

Three prison facilities will be closed, including:

• Muskegon Correctional Facility in Muskegon
• Hiawatha Correctional Facility in Kincheloe
• Standish Maximum Correctional Facility in Standish

The reorganization will reduce the state corrections system by 6,400 beds and eliminate up to 1,000 MDOC positions.  

Among those factors taken into consideration in identifying the facilities to be closed is the age of the facility, operational costs, needed improvements and renovations, number of inmates housed, proximity to other correctional facilities, and the need for space in specific security classifications in the corrections system. 

Michigan is one of the few states in the nation that has a declining prison population and a lower recidivism rate among parolees under supervision in the community.   Michigan's prison population is at its lowest level in seven years.

Recent actions taken by the State of Michigan, starting with the introduction of the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative (MPRI) in 2004, have contributed to that decline.  As a result of the MPRI, the rate of prisoners paroled is up and the parole failures have declined. The number of prisoners entering the corrections system declined by nine percent in 2008 and four percent in the first four months of 2009.

Through enhanced community supervision, including more parole/probation officers and the use of electronic and GPS monitoring devices, the MDOC continues to protect the public.  New screening tools that more accurately predict prisoner behavior, coupled with programming that increases the likelihood of offender success upon release, are creating safer neighborhoods and better citizens.

The CSG Justice Center analyzed the state's prison and parole populations, re-incarceration and re-arrest rates, and other crime data. As a result of their findings, CSG recommended the following for corrections:

• Reduce re-arrest rates among probationers;
• Respond to probation violations with swift, certain and proportional sanctions;
• Expand employment services for high-risk probationers and parolees;
• Ensure that prisoners serve 100-120 percent of their court imposed minimum sentence;
• Ensure supervision for everyone released from prison; and,
• Continue to reduce the prisoner population that is past their minimum release date.

The reorganization will be completed in time to achieve the $120 million in savings in the 2010 Fiscal Year that begins October 1.