Picket line aims to raise awareness of working conditions in prison | News, Sports, Jobs

Members of the Michigan Corrections Organization, Michigan's correctional officers' union, display signs during a picket action near the Baraga Correctional Facility on Tuesday. (Photo: Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette)

BARAGA – Several correctional officers, their friends and families, concerned citizens, politicians and union representatives demonstrated along the side of Highway 41 and Superior Avenue near the Baraga Correctional Facility on Tuesday.

The picket was one of three planned by the Michigan Corrections Organization union outside Upper Peninsula prisons to raise awareness of understaffing at the Michigan Department of Corrections facility and the dangers this poses for correctional officers, with a focus on mandatory double shifts. A picket was held outside Chippewa and Kinross correctional facilities on Monday, and another was planned for Wednesday outside Marquette Branch Prison.

Over the course of the day, about five dozen supporters attended the Baraga site, although the number never remained consistent as many officers had to report for their shift at the prison. Officers who had just finished their shifts took the places of the working officers and joined the picket line in the late afternoon, holding signs informing the public about the officers' lack of work-life balance, their constant exposure to danger, and other complaints they have about their working conditions.

One of the officers who had to leave the picket line early to go to work was Doug Gilbertson, the chairman of the MCO's Baraga branch. Gilbertson said it was difficult for the officers to attend the picket line because they were extremely exhausted.

“I have been in the state for more than 24 years and have witnessed its decline and decline,” Said Gilbertson. “I mean, it's a good job and you get paid well for this part of the state, but under these conditions? Man, nobody wants to work like that knowing they're never going home.”

Gilbertson then explained that when he was hired, there was a waiting list for interviews at the prison and that it was difficult to get the job. He said the benefits and pay in this part of the state were once unbeatable, so he hopes the picket lines will raise public awareness of the situation.

“I hope that people come out of this situation knowing what is going on here and how much we are suffering,” he said. “And I hope that we finally get politicians who will stand behind us. This is something that has been difficult for corrections officers since I've been here. Nobody really cares about the corrections system because once someone is in prison, they just want to forget about it. They don't think about the men and women who have to work there, who are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and grandparents who deal (with the inmates). We still have to be there. We still have to guard the walls.”

Gilbertson went on to explain something that many citizens and lawmakers have discussed that needs to happen in order to make law enforcement a career attractive again. He said salaries need to increase, a pension needs to be reinstated, and retirement health insurance needs to be considered to bring job seekers back to the field. Gilbertson said he wishes there could be more officers there, but many are afraid to even show up to the picket line for fear of retaliation from the department.

Many of the officers expressed frustration that they cannot tell people what they are experiencing in prison without fear of losing their jobs. Many of the officers agree that MDOC Director Heidi Washington and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are responsible for allowing the crisis to reach this point and should resign, that MDOC administration is not looking out for them and is more concerned with prisoners, and that departmental decisions within the facilities are creating more dangers, such as releasing prisoners from solitary confinement back into general prison life for serious offenses such as fighting or possession of weapons.

Officials also mentioned that being forced to work daily or near-daily 16-hour shifts outside the home leads to divorce, unhealthy eating, excessive alcohol consumption, and the inability to spend time with friends and family.

“What more can this state take from us?” asked an officer. “We spend more time in prison than with our families.”

The other group of notable participants at the vigil were the state politicians representing the Upper Peninsula. They spoke to everyone in attendance and held signs to express their solidarity with the officers and their families while learning more about what was happening inside the prison.

In attendance were Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs), Representatives Jenn Hill (D-Marquette), Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) and Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River). Republican candidate for the 109th District, Karl Bohnak, was also in attendance.

Hill recently toured the facility and the experience gave her a deeper understanding of what officers there face. She said the experience was sobering and strengthened her resolve to do something about the staffing crisis. She said the current overtime requirements are unsustainable and that needs to change, and that they also need to emphasize health benefits considering how many officers there are being laid off with health problems due to the stress of the job.

“They want health insurance benefits for pensioners,” said Hill. “I think Michigan gave us the middle class with Henry Ford and it's time to bring it back.”

Markkanen had previously visited the facility and is also familiar with the dangers that officers face in the prison.

“I have great compassion for what they go through and do three, four or five doubles in a row,” he said. “If they don't spend time with their families and don't get enough sleep, their safety at work is at risk. That's a very dangerous situation and we just can't tolerate it anymore.”

Markkanen stressed that Whitmer and Washington need to take action and address the problem head-on. He said working conditions, pensions, health care and wages need to be addressed quickly, but he understands that this is not a problem that can be solved overnight.

He urges the public to educate themselves and contact other lawmakers to voice their displeasure with working conditions. Markkanen hopes the situation can be discussed further after a bipartisan Senate group discusses the personnel issues with the governor and director.

Prestin understood the officers' situation because of his experience as a firefighter. He has experienced similarly long hours in a dangerous job and is concerned about the officers' mental health after being exposed to dangers for an entire shift.

“We need to put more money in these people’s pockets,” he said. “We have to make this job attractive and we have to make sure that this place is the best place to work and not the worst place to work.”