The Michigan Department of Corrections has launched the Safe Prisons Initiative to help monitor and improve safety and security inside prison facilities.
Key components of the initiative include providing improved evidence-based prisoner programming to promote positive behavior, reviewing segregation needs and infrastructure availability, implementing technology improvements that will assist officers in day-to-day operations, and conducting targeted training at facilities with increased critical incidents. In addition, the department will be implementing new tactics to improve employee recruitment and retention such as emerging leader development, hiring process enhancements, and improved marketing strategies.
The initiative takes a multi-pronged approach to prison safety by identifying projects that can collectively provide positive outcomes for staff, incarcerated individuals, and the community. The initiative identifies five key areas that have an impact on the safety of prisons: prisoner classification and bed space; contraband introduction and technology; prisoner programming; training and staff support; and recruitment and retention.
The Safe Prisons Initiative is an extension of efforts which have already been undertaken by the department to improve safety and security. In the last 12 months, the department has implemented various technologies and policies aimed at reducing contraband. New mail policies and the implementation of package scanners are already seeing promising results to stop the introduction of illicit drugs and contraband materials. In addition, strategic plan initiatives developed by the department in 2023 continue to focus on improving prisoner classification tools and optimizing facility capacity to manage the needs of the prison population.
Press Releases
MDOC Launches ‘Safe Prisons Initiative’ to Improve Safety and Security of Corrections Operations
MDOC Increases High Security Beds and Closes Housing Unit to Further Safe Prisons Initiative
MDOC Prioritizes Prisoner Behavior through New Evidence-Based Programming Strategies
MDOC Implements New Legal Mail Procedures to Crack Down on Contraband
MDOC to Increase Pay for New Officer Recruits at Five U.P. Facilities
