“A whole different level of stress,” says Hill | News, Sports, Jobs

BARAGA — On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, officials and supporters from three Upper Peninsula prisons held vigils to educate the public about the current dangers in their workplaces, particularly staffing shortages. State lawmakers from the Upper Peninsula stood in solidarity with the officers at their vigils and engaged in discussions with them to learn more about their current situation and to talk with them about potential remedies they are seeking in Lansing.

State Senator Ed McBroom (R-38th District) and State Representative Greg Markkanen (R-110th District) toured the Baraga Correctional Facility several years ago and have been present at picket lines in their districts or in districts where their citizens work for the facility. They have seen the inside of the Baraga Correctional Facility and know where problems exist. Recently, another representative toured the same halls.

State Rep. Jenn Hill, D-109th District, toured the Baraga Correctional Facility on Aug. 13 before joining the picket line earlier this week. During her visit, she spoke with correctional officers of varying levels of experience, administrators, the warden and other prison staff.

“I found it sobering, because what I realized most was how overcautious you have to be as a correctional officer on duty,” said Hill. “You can feel the physical and mental strain this entails.”

Seeing the facility was something of a new territory for Hill, as she had never seen barbed wire arranged in the manner in which it is arranged in the facility. She first toured the Level 1 building, which houses Level 1 prisoners, the least restricted of all the prison levels. She chatted with some of the guards there and was surprised to see two officers overseeing a building that can house over 170 prisoners. Hill said that even in the Level I building, there was a certain tension in the air.

She then went to the Level 5 housing areas, where the maximum security prisoners are housed. Level 5 buildings house far fewer prisoners and allow for much less freedom of movement. Hill recalled that despite the limited movement of prisoners in the maximum security units, she still felt the tension and heightened alertness. She noted that the facility was far more modern than Marquette Branch Prison and that Baraga reminded her of a hospital with its white walls and heavy doors.

“What I learned there is that the people (prisoners) in Level 5 are not there because of the crime they committed, but because of their behavior during their stay in the facility,” said Hill. “These are people who have often harmed others, whether it is another prisoner, a police officer or a staff member. When you go to work there, the tension is completely different. The people there have told me that this can shorten people's lives.”

During her tour, she witnessed the facility responding to two fights. The first incident was reported while she was meeting with the warden and prison administrators. Two staff members rushed from the table to help.

The second incident occurred as Hill was being escorted from one building to another. The radio officers present sounded a warning. She said dozens of officers flocked to the building where the fight had taken place. While Hill did not feel in danger during the walkthrough, she was put off by the tense atmosphere.

“The need to react, the need to act immediately, the necessary hypersensitivity; the toll that this takes is quite clear, and having to do that for 16 hours,” explained Hill. “She [corrections officers] I want to keep people safe, but when you've been on duty for 16 hours, you're tired, and I hear the same thing from nurses. They know how tired they are, and they know they're not doing their job optimally. [due to the hours]“It is the responsibility of management to improve conditions for workers.”

Hill said in speaking with officials that she had concerns about the Michigan Department of Corrections and that she would bring them to the agency's attention to how it is managing the facility. One of the concerns officials mentioned was the way the MDOC spends funds, which appears to overlook or ignore the needs of officers.

Hill said the service provided by correctional officers is critical.

“These people provide a public service and are essential workers,” she said. “I said this, as we learned with Covid, there are essential workers that we need 24/7, and so I want people to understand that these officers have to show up 24/7 and then stay 16 hours because they have to. They're doing it for their colleagues to make sure the store is running. If we're going to build a middle class again, there are jobs that are essential and need to be supported. We in the state of Michigan need to think about how we're going to manage that part of public safety.”