LANSING – In response to the recent announcement that the state would close Standish Maximum Correctional Facility on Oct. 31 – a move that threatens 80 to 90 jobs – State Representative Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) again called on the Governor to save the prison.
"Standish Max is an anchor for the region, and in these tough economic times, laying off our workers is something that we must avoid at all cost," Mayes said. "We still don't know why this facility has been chosen for closure. I urge the Governor to find a way to keep this facility open and avoid the devastation that would result for the city of Standish."
The facility is scheduled to close on Oct. 31, as Michigan wrestles with a $2.8 billion budget deficit.
Mayes, who voted against the Department of Corrections budget on Wednesday that included the closing of the state-of-the-art Standish Maximum Correctional Facility, said that options remain for the facility, including taking inmates in from Pennsylvania. Standish Max, which is the city's largest employer, opened in 1990 and is comprised of five 88-bed housing units and one 164-bed unit.
"There's no doubt that we're going through tough times here in Michigan, and cuts needed to be made," Mayes said. "But laying off 90 hard-working residents and decimating an entire town is not the right kind of cuts that will turn Michigan around. I will continue to fight to keep this facility open and keep protect the jobs of our hard-working men and women."