SE Grand Rapids News

Michigan state Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) fears the potential repercussions from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent line-item veto of a significant portion of the state’s corrections budget.

“Gov. Whitmer’s actions put the safety of our communities at risk and cut critical support for law enforcement officers,” Albert said in a press release. “We sent her a corrections budget that was balanced and kept the public safe. She created massive budget shortfalls by striking funding for training new corrections officers, support for law enforcement, PTSD and suicide prevention and much-needed appropriations to our local county jails.”

Whitmer’s veto also wiped out funding for 7,000 new GPS tracking tethers for parolees and those on probation, leaving the question of how former inmates and probationers will be tracked going forward. Albert has also expressed disappointment in the governor's stripping away funding for PTSD programming for law enforcement.

Michigan state Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) | http://gophouse.org/

“It is extremely stressful to work in a prison and we see that reflected in a recent study that shows high rates of PTSD among corrections workers,” Albert said. “This funding is needed to look after the mental wellness of the people who spend their days managing the most dangerous segment of our society.”

According to Albert, Whitmer’s actions threaten to perpetuate the ongoing problem of prison staffing shortages.

“Because our prisons must always be fully staffed to protect the public and the people who work there, staffing shortages result in mandatory overtime – which is tough on employees and their families, as well as taxpayers,” Albert said. “We have seen critical staffing shortages for years and we set aside money to train new officers – but the governor rejected our plan to improve staffing levels.”