Michigan’s Department of Corrections has launched a new “safe prisons initiative” that officials said is designed to respond to a continued rise in prison assaults while improving day-to-day operations for both inmates and staff. The department announced the effort Friday, saying it will involve changes ranging from prisoner programming and staff training to how violent inmates are reviewed for segregation and housing.
In a statement announcing the initiative, Michigan corrections director Heidi E. Washington said the department is focused on public safety and that staff, the people under their supervision, and the friends and family of both deserve “nothing less than our best” for well-being and safety. She said the vast majority of prison activities are conducted in a safe and compliant way, while the new initiative targets areas where conditions can be improved.
The department’s announcement comes as it cited updated figures showing assaults have continued climbing in the prior year. Michigan reported 355 assaults against prison employees in 2025, up from 299 the year before. It also reported 527 assaults against prisoners in 2025, up from 481 in 2024.
The initiative, Michigan Corrections officials said, is structured around five components: prisoner classification and bed space, contraband introduction and technology, prisoner programming, training and staff support, and recruitment. The department said the plan aims to provide improved prisoner programming to promote positive behavior, review segregation needs for violent inmates, and provide targeted training and technology to assist corrections officers in day-to-day operations.
A spokesperson told Bridge Michigan that the department is working to expand evidence-based programs for violence prevention and substance use treatment, while also reviewing tools to better equip officers. The department said it is developing targeted training missions that will send pre-selected staff to train side-by-side with facility staff if there is an increase in critical incidents.
Byron Osborn, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, said in comments reported by Bridge that he is “cautiously optimistic” and hopes the department will make adjustments, particularly in how inmates are classified and housed. Osborn previously urged the department to separate violent prisoners more effectively, alleging Michigan has too often placed dangerous inmates in lower-security settings not designed for them.
Osborn said one of the “main problems” making prisons unsafe is that prisoners are being housed in lower security levels than their behavior warrants, and he said he hopes the department will “take a hard look” at those practices. Michigan facilities are classified by security level, from levels I and II with fewer restrictions to levels IV and V for more dangerous individuals; Bridge reported that most prisons house multiple levels and that only four hold level V inmates, though not exclusively.
The department also outlined steps it said are already in motion. It said it plans to increase the number of Level IV beds at the Macomb Correctional Facility, adding about 190 higher-security beds. It also said the Level II unit at the Chippewa Correctional Facility will be temporarily closed due to reduced demand for lower-level housing and staff shortages.
In addition, corrections officials described the initiative as an extension of policies already underway. In January, the department implemented a new mail policy under which prisoners receive photocopies of confidential and legal mail instead of originals, with officials describing the originals as shredded in a secure location after being opened in front of the inmate. The department previously reported finding suboxone strips used for opioid use disorder treatment, synthetic marijuana, and other synthetic drugs on envelopes and other mail, and it said blotter paper can absorb fentanyl and other narcotics.
The initiative also follows renewed public complaints and political attention to prison conditions in Michigan. Women at Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the state’s only women’s prison, released an open letter seeking clemency or resentencing for roughly 800 women over a three-year period, citing concerns about conditions at the facility, which houses about 1,800 women. The letter asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to grant clemency to more than 100 women who have completed programs while incarcerated and sought legislative reforms that would allow survivors of abuse to apply for resentencing.
In recent testimony, state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky said she observed black spots in the seams of the shower during a Feb. 12 visit and said she was told it was black paint on clear grout rather than mold, reporting that the warden offered to eat it to show it was not toxic. Pohutsky also alleged inmates at the Ypsilanti facility faced health issues she tied to unsafe living conditions, including a case involving an inmate who tested positive for Aspergillus niger, and she cited a Michigan Department of Corrections report describing multiple air circulation devices in need of replacement.
In announcing the “safe prisons initiative,” MDOC Correctional Facilities Administration Deputy Director Jeremy Bush said the department has been working to collect and analyze critical data to identify concerning trends and incidents. He said the department would be “continually evaluating” its effectiveness while maintaining open communications with partners and facility staff to help improve operations.