Senator Proos Praises Closing Western U.P. Prison In December

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How many prisons does the state need? The Michigan Department of Corrections and state lawmakers say not as many as we currently have, and the announcement was made this week that the Ojibway Correctional Facility in the far western Upper Peninsula will close in December. Senator John Proos of St. Joseph says it makes sense to close down facilities rather than keep them open and pay for empty beds.

“We’ve seen the prison population decrease significantly,” Proos tells WSJM News. “We’re now someplace around 38,500 prisoners, and that’s down from a high of nearly 52,000 prisoners just a few years ago.”

The instances of people winding up back in prison after being released, called recividism, is also down. Proos says that’s due to several factors from a focus on rehabilitation behind bars to programs that allow for alternative sentences. He says every prison closure will save the state $20 million. One U.P. lawmaker, however, argues the job losses are going to be significant for his district and the nearest prison for those workers to transfer to is about 100 miles away.

Proos chairs the Senate Appropriations committee’s corrections subcommittee.