MARQUETTE, MI— Two corrections officers were attacked and injured at Marquette Branch Prison on Monday.
Michigan Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Jenni Riehle says an officer was assaulted by a prisoner but “sustained no injuries consistent with the use of a sharp weapon.” Another officer also sustained injuries, but it isn’t known if they were caused by a weapon.
The COs were taken to UPHS-Marquette and treated for minor injuries, but were not admitted.
The assaults are just two of many reported at prisons around the state each week by the Michigan Corrections Organization. Union officials say they reflect a broader pattern of volatility, inadequate deterrence, and the ongoing strain placed on correctional officers working in increasingly unpredictable environments.
Riehle says the 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. The addition will allow for closer supervision, more limited movement, and ultimately increased safety for officers and the prisoner population. 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.
“The Michigan Department of Corrections recently announced an increased pay rate of approximately $10,000 per year for new corrections officer recruits at five Upper Peninsula correctional facilities, one of which is Marquette Branch Prison. The increase is expected to improve recruitment and retention which helps to increase safety within facilities.”
