Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Oversight Committee hears testimony in prison closure

State's decision to close Ojibway was not without consideration of econcomic impact

By BRYAN HELLIOS

[email protected]

IRONWOOD - The Michigan Senate Oversight Committee met Tuesday in Lansing to hear testimony regarding an auditor general's report concerning the Michigan Department of Correction's decision to close the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco.

The facility, which had 203 employees, closed Dec. 1.

The report - a follow-up to a 2012 performance audit - found the MDOC partially complied with the changes recommended following the 2012 audit.

"(The department of corrections) represented to us that it fully considered the potential economic impacts. Howeve...