South Michigan News

State Rep. Sarah Lightner has called for the immediate resignation of Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) Director Heidi Washington, citing her failure to address severe staffing shortages and dangerous working conditions for corrections officers during her nearly 10-year tenure.

“We’ve seen a net loss of corrections officers every single year for the last six years, putting our corrections officers who remain on the job in an increasingly dangerous situation,” Lightner said. “Despite the evident crisis, Director Washington has failed to implement a plan to address the critical staffing shortages, which has resulted in severe low morale, depression, anxiety, and fear among our dedicated corrections officers. The lack of effective leadership is directly undermining the mental health and wellbeing of those who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. Our officers, and our state, deserve better. It is time for Director Washington to resign.”

The Michigan Corrections Organization (MCO), representing Michigan’s corrections officers, reports that prison guards are frequently forced to work mandatory 16-hour shifts. The Department currently employs roughly 5,500 officers to oversee nearly 33,000 felons across 26 facilities. Nearly half of these prisons are experiencing staff vacancy rates exceeding 20%, with five facilities facing vacancy rates over 30%, according to MCO.

MCO President Byron Osborn describes dangerous working conditions including unsafe prisoner-to-officer ratios, demoralizing mandatory overtime requirements, and lax prisoner discipline policies that lead to inmates being “coddled at the expense of officer safety.”

“While there have been several changes aimed at improving inmate programming over the past decade, no progress has been made to relieve the pressure the staffing crisis is putting on corrections officers,” Lightner said. “The director’s inability to prioritize the safety of our officers over perks for the inmates is misguided and wrong.”

In a recent letter, MCO called on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to activate the Michigan National Guard to address hazardous working conditions. Gov. Whitmer has yet to acknowledge this request. Meanwhile, a new state budget negotiated with Democrats eliminates $12 million previously set aside for signing and retention bonuses aimed at addressing staffing shortages.

Lightner emphasized that sustainable long-term solutions must be implemented by prioritizing this crisis and replacing Washington with a new director committed to delivering results.

“Corrections officers are unsung heroes in the first responder world,” Lightner said. “They deserve better than being mandated to work 16-hour shifts multiple times a week, which strains their mental health and takes a heavy toll on their families.”

Lightner represents many corrections officers among her constituents and has been actively highlighting this issue since taking office through direct communications with MDOC and public hearings in House subcommittees. In 2023 she requested a review from the Michigan Auditor General’s office regarding staffing shortages and other alleged labor regulation violations within MDOC; an investigation is ongoing.