By Nathan Clark
mlive.com
MARQUETTE, Mich. — The union representing Michigan correctional officers reports a wave of repeated disruptions inside the Marquette Branch Prison throughout the month of July.
The prison, located in the Upper Peninsula, saw 30 incidents from July 1 to July 27, according to the Michigan Corrections Organization, which described the month as one of relentless instability, escalating violence, and continuous strain on officers.
“Together, these events illustrate the sustained pressure placed on frontline staff and the ongoing instability within multiple housing units and yard areas during this timeframe,” the union wrote.
The prison saw a variety of incidents throughout the month, including prisoner-on-prisoner fights, attacks on officers and prisoner drug overdoses, according to the union.
The union reports that in one incident, an officer was stabbed in the face on July 6 while trying to detain a combative prisoner. The Michigan Department of Corrections disputes this claim.
“An officer was assaulted by a prisoner at Marquette Branch Prison but sustained no injuries consistent with the use of a sharp weapon,” MDOC Public Information Officer Jenni Riehle said. “Multiple officers came to aid in restraining the prisoner. One of those officers also sustained injuries, but it is unknown if it was caused by a weapon.”
Riehle said the two officers were sent to the hospital for assessment and treatment of minor injuries but were not admitted.
“The Michigan Department of Corrections appreciates the dedication and commitment of these officers, and all officers across the state, who use their training and experience to keep Michigan communities safe,” Riehle said.
The prison yard was also repeatedly closed throughout the month due to fights, staff unavailability and, on July 20, severe weather.
The union argues MDOC has major problems with its security classification process and its lack of adequate segregation beds and high security level prisons.
In one incident, on July 11, a prisoner who broke a sprinkler head could not be moved to a cell with a solid door due to no observation cells being available, the union reports.
MDOC has been working to increase the number of higher security beds in the state and announced the addition of 190 new level 4 beds at Macomb Correctional Facility in March, Riehle said.
“The addition will allow for closer supervision, more limited movement, and ultimately increased safety for officers and the prisoner population,” Riehle said. “The transition will also allow for further opportunities, which the department is currently working on, to optimize prisoner bed space availability across the state to meet the evolving management needs of the modern prison population.”
MDOC is also investing $154 million in the design and construction of two new high-custody housing units which will increase capacity at Level IV and above by over 400 beds, Riehle said.
To assist with understaffing, MDOC is deploying a volunteer staffing mission to the facility from Aug. 9 – 30 which will provide greater coverage and reduce overtime, Riehle said.
MDOC recently announced new recruits at Marquette Branch Prison , Baraga Correctional Facility, Alger Correctional Facility, Kinross Correctional Facility and Chippewa Correctional Facility will earn an additional $10,000 a year, bringing their hourly wage to $28.24, up from the current rate of $23.45.
The facilities were selected based on current vacancy rates and their location in an area the department considers difficult for recruitment.
The union has not been in favor of the plan, stating it does not go far enough and that the pay increase should apply to all of the state’s prisons.
State Senator Sue Shink and State Rep. Will Snyder each sent a letter to Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington on June 10 and June 11, requesting she expand her plan to increase pay for new correctional officers in the state’s five prisons in the Upper Peninsula to all 26 state prisons.
The letters, signed by 10 state senators and 36 state representatives, urged Washington to consider the request as the prison staffing shortage is a state-wide issue that requires a state-wide solution.
—
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.