Michigan DOC Adding High-Security Beds Under Safe Prisons Initiative
New and renovated housing units will increase high-security capacity in Michigan Department of Corrections facilities while supporting the broader safety goals of the department’s Safe Prisons Initiative. | Photo Credit: Michigan Department of Corrections
By Charlie Lange
The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) is advancing several construction and renovation projects designed to add high-security beds and improve inmate placement across the state.
The projects will add 870 high-security beds across five facilities. MDOC also plans to upgrade 30 cells for people with accessibility requirements and relocate individuals currently housed in a Protection Unit. The work is part of the department’s Safe Prisons Initiative, a wide-ranging effort to improve safety and security within Michigan prisons.
“When we have the right housing to support individuals throughout their course of incarceration, we create safer facilities for staff and increase the success of those housed there,” MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington said in a statement. “Our population is always changing and the transitions happening right now will deliver immediate improvements in how we operate. At the same time, our new investments in high security infrastructure will ensure that, moving forward, we will be providing the most advanced and effective correctional environment available within these new units.”
MDOC launched its Safe Prisons Initiative in March, based on five key focus areas: inmate classification and bed space; contraband prevention and technology; inmate programming; training and staff support; and recruitment and retention.
The latest projects directly address the inmate classification and bed space portion of the initiative, according to Jenni Riehle, MDOC’s public information officer.
“The attributes of the prisoner population are dynamic, requiring different types and numbers of beds and units to appropriately manage the population,” Riehle said. “By transitioning current units to accommodate higher-security prisoners, the department can ensure staff have the appropriate tools to create a safe environment for the current population while optimizing facility space.”
Project Details
One of the most expansive projects will be the construction of new high-security units at the Oaks Correctional Facility and the St. Louis Correctional Facility, using $152 million in funding secured by MDOC for fiscal year 2027. These projects, which include building one new unit at each facility, will add more than 400 new Level IV and Level V/Segregation beds. While design and construction teams have not yet been selected, these projects are expected to take two-and-a-half years to complete. MDOC says these new units will be designed based on current best practices and strategies for managing high-level populations.
In the meantime, MDOC is also in the process of converting multiple units at the Oaks facility to create a 192-bed Level IV Unit and a 96-bed Level V Unit, expected to be complete by the end of the year.
In tandem with the Oaks conversion project, a Level II General Population Unit at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility will be converted into a Protective Housing Unit, where inmates requiring protective housing at Oaks will be transferred upon completion this fall. MDOC said that moving individuals to this converted Protective Housing Unit will better meet their management needs. Abonmarche is leading the design of the Handlon facility conversion, and construction bids are currently being solicited.
At the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, 30 cells are being upgraded to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to house individuals with accessibility requirements. Straub Pettitt Mann designed the project, with Moore Trosper Construction and RAS/Laux Construction serving as the contractors. Completion is expected by January 2027. Bellamy Creek will also house additional individuals requiring protective housing that will be transferred from Oaks.
Finally, a project to add 182 new Level IV beds at the Macomb Correction Facility was announced in March and is currently underway, with completion expected this month. The department said that in addition to increasing capacity at this security level, the work will allow for closer supervision and more limited inmate movement. Spartan Construction is leading the work, based on designs by Matrix Consulting Engineers.
Putting Data to Work
Riehle acknowledges that successful security-level classification will depend not only on these new and converted facilities, but also on implementing systems that can adequately manage populations and effectively separate inmates by needs and risks.
“Prisoner classification is a complex system. Many things can influence prisoner classification and placement, including, but not limited to the length of a person’s sentence, programming and healthcare needs, behavioral concerns, and facility infrastructure and staffing levels,” Riehle said.
Riehle said the department is developing a data-driven classification system to create safer environments for incarcerated individuals and staff. MDOC employees are working with outside data experts on its implementation while the facility projects proceed.
“The department has been working to collect and analyze critical data that will help the department identify concerning trends and incidents which help prioritize work being done as part of the Safe Prisons Initiative,” Riehle said. “Through the course of this work, we will be continually evaluating our effectiveness while maintaining open communications with our partners and facility staff to help improve operations and reduce violent incidents.”
MDOC said that other aspects of the ongoing Safe Prisons Initiative involve operational changes ranging from contraband deterrence and technology upgrades to expanded inmate programming and targeted staff training.