Article Photos

MUNISING - Despite some wintry weather, corrections officers and supporters staged what they considered a successful informational picket Tuesday at the entrance road to the Alger Maximum Correctional Facility in Munising Township.

"We had a pretty good turnout," said Tom Tylutki, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, which represents about 8,200 state corrections officers and other workers. "We probably had, over the course of the day, 100 officers from Alger. We also had officers from Baraga, Kinross, one guy even came all the way from Ypsilanti."

In addition, about three dozen members of the public from the surrounding area joined officers on the picket line throughout the day.

The corrections officers were hoping to raise awareness about their concerns over state budget cuts and prison structural reorganization efforts they say are resulting in increasing dangers at the Alger Max prison and elsewhere in Michigan.

Their protest efforts were aimed at lawmakers who cut $120 million from the prison budget over the summer.

"We're real concerned. We've had a lot of incidents," Tylutki said. "We're concerned about officer safety and other staff and the safety of the public."

Tylutki said recent moves allowing maximum security inmates more freedom and more movement within the prison population, coupled with fewer officers, is potentially a dangerous situation.

"We're not stupid. We understand there are budget issues," Tylutki said. "But you're walking a real fine line when you're making these kinds of cuts."

Michigan Department of Corrections public information officer John Cordell said the department understands there is an "adaptation process" involved. Alger Max went from a Level V prison to a Level IV prison, with more prisoners double-bunked and more prisoners at the facility than previously. That was in response to bed needs statewide.

He said the Alger and Baraga prisons had been on a list for potential closure, but instead the Standish prison downstate was selected. Cordell said the department is confident the excellent prison staff and administration can run the prison safely and efficiently.

"Anytime there's a change in a correctional facility, there's some adaptation that has to occur," Cordell said. "We understand there's a difficulty involved. We're doing everything we can to support that."