IONIA, Mich. (WOOD) — New reviews from Michigan Workplace of the Auditor Common flagged two state prisons in Ionia as “partially compliant” with state rules.
The Auditor Common discovered the Ionia Correctional Facility and Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility — which sit facet by facet off M-21 on the west facet of Ionia — had issues with the consistency and thoroughness of their safety checks. Each prisons had been flagged with “reportable” and “material” circumstances, materials being the extra critical of the 2.
After the Auditor Common reviewed samples of surveillance video, it cited the Ionia Correctional Facility for 5 materials circumstances: It stated corrections officers seemingly falsified search log books 38% of the time. They did not full 20% of every day cell searches, the assessment discovered — and once they did do the checks, virtually a 3rd lasted lower than 60 seconds.
The auditor additionally discovered that in 19% of reviewed safety rounds in housing for degree V prisoners — the best safety degree — corrections officers didn’t open a number of closed cell home windows to confirm a prisoner’s presence or well-being.
In searches on the facility’s sallyport, a secured entryway, 64% of things, greater than half of automobiles and virtually 1 / 4 of individuals weren’t absolutely searched upon entry, the assessment discovered. On the entrance gate, 27% of things and 12% of officers weren’t absolutely searched once they got here in.
The Ionia Correctional Facility additionally acquired reportable situation marks for not finishing the minimal variety of cell searches per shift and never at all times conducting weekly and every day arsenal inspections.
On the Handlon Correctional Facility, officers seemingly falsified every day cell search logs 4% of the time and people searches had been too brief round a 3rd of the time. Handlon additionally acquired reportable circumstances for lackluster searches on the sallyport for foot, car and merchandise visitors, with the auditor saying 1 / 4 of foot and car visitors was not correctly documented.
In an announcement to Information 8 Thursday, the Michigan Division of Corrections stated it agrees that “greater consistency is needed regarding certain custody functions” and that it takes the matter critically.
“We are committed to continuous improvement as evident by steps taken before and after the initiation of these audits, such as improving department policies, utilizing interdisciplinary teams to conduct process improvements, and making record investments in staff, technology, and enhancements to facilities to make them safer,” the assertion continued.
MDOC stated the prisons “will continue to operate effectively and in a way that protects the public.”
The Michigan Corrections Group, the union for corrections officers, blamed the shortfalls on staffing, saying in an announcement to Information 8 that “we simply do not have enough officers to run these prisons safely or effectively…”
“(T)he MDOC has gotten away with it for so long that it is now the accepted norm for them,” the assertion from MOC President Byron Osborn continued. “Exhausted officers that are working on shifts in these prisons with far less officers than are required to be there are of course going to make occasional clerical errors on searches. They’re also not likely to spend as much time on searches because they’re picking up the extra workload of the partners they’re supposed to have with them that are not there to help.”
He additionally stated new officers are usually not getting correct coach due to the brief staffing.
“Corners are being cut in all aspects of the prison system right now, not just searches,” Osborn stated.
