HFP still salutes Corrections Officer of the Year
We frequently complain about corrections officers in the Michigan prison system...and for good reason. Some of these people are callous and abusive, some are rude to visitors, and some are involved in the smuggling in of contraband. But the key word here is “some.” As in many situations, the troublemakers get the attention. Many others are very nice people, kind to inmates, helpful to visitors, and carry out their duties with pride, dignity and integrity. I bring up all of this because I just read a disturbing little piece in the February MI-CURE newsletter. The MCO (Michigan Corrections Organization---union for the guards) recently notified the MDOC that it is withdrawing from the process of selecting a corrections officer of the year and that it will not have an official presence at the annual Department of Corrections banquet. The announcement read, in part, “The consensus of MCO leaders across the state was that the union should discontinue official participation in the se