By Ben Solis and Liz Nass
Posted: July 11, 2024 4:00 PM

Democratic members of the House and Senate who chair committees overseeing the Department of Corrections said they support Director Heidi Washington remaining at the helm of the department.

The backing of Washington, who ran the department under former Governor Rick Snyder and continued in the role when Governor Gretchen Whitmer kept retained her, came after Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), issued a statement on Tuesday calling for the director's resignation (See Gongwer Michigan Report, July 9, 2024).

Lightner's comments were in response to a letter to Whitmer by the Michigan Corrections Organization, which urged the governor to call up the National Guard to help with security at state prisons. The letter did not, however, call for Washington's resignation (See Gongwer Michigan Report, July 3, 2024).

In interviews with Gongwer News Service, Rep. Amos O'Neal (D-Saginaw), chair of the House Appropriations Corrections Subcommittee , and Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), chair of the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee , said they did not share Lightner's position.

"Director Washington has really done a great job moving the agenda forward in terms of preparing our inmates who are incarcerated with opportunities once they're released," O'Neal said.

He said the workforce shortage in corrections is not an overnight fix but has been something he has seen throughout his tenure as the chair of the subcommittee.

O'Neal cited the funds he appropriated into the draft of the budget, including $12.5 million for retention bonuses and $16.5 million for retirement pensions, which were taken out of the final budget, claiming that those are the biggest issues he saw on his trips to prisons around the state and that funding would be the best way to answer to the staffing issues.

O'Neal said Corrections issues are not simply a reflection of the director, but a comprehensive issue that has many factors.

Chang said the job of the director is a difficult one, and that some of the challenges, especially the staffing shortages, are not unique to Michigan.

"While I respect what Director Washington does, and there are things we have disagreed on in the past, I don't have any qualms with her specifically," Chang said.

She did, however, recognize the urgent needs of corrections officers.

"(They) work under a lot of stress and in unique situations that the rest of us do not," Chang said. "And there aren't enough of them. We know that mental health is a big concern. Wellness is a big concern. This is definitely not new … this is something that we've been trying to have discussions about as a Legislature for many years now. But we know that staffing shortage and that level of stress is certainly not going away."

Chang said the department has done quite a bit in terms of trying to reduce that stress, like creating wellness units and doing whatever they can to recruit additional officers. Still, like other sectors of the economy, finding people to do the work has been a challenge.

"I know that the MCO is really eager to see some urgent solutions happens sooner rather than later, and I hope that we can have those conversations," Chang said.

Even with some disagreements with the department on policy, Chang said she is "not to the point of thinking something needs to change there."

Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson), represents a district with a large prison, felt differently than her Democratic colleagues. Schmaltz and Lightner both represent Jackson County.

In a statement, Schmaltz said Democrats and the governor "have to get their priorities straight" and the money should not have been removed from the budget.

She also called for the House and Senate to act on retirement plan improvement proposals.

"I hear from Corrections officers and other employees frequently about the lack of resources to hire new officers, staffing shortages, lack of pensions, and mandatory overtime," Schmaltz said. "This can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression. We need to help our Corrections officers and wardens. We have waited too long, the situation is critical, and we have to act now."