Corrections in 1965

In 1965, the Department had eight facilities, the Camp Program (14 camps lumped into one entity), Cassidy Lake (the current location of Special Alternative Incarceration), Marquette Branch Prison, the Michigan Reformatory, the Michigan Training Unit, the Psychiatric Unit, the Reception Diagnostic Center, and the State Prison of Southern Michigan including the Trustee Division. DeHoCo was a facility for female offenders in Wayne County and not considered an MDOC facility at the time.

There were six divisions of the Department - General Administration, Parole Board, Parole Bureau, Prison Industries, Probation Bureau, and the Youth Bureau.

The Correction Commission was comprised of seven people, some of whom have facilities named after them today. Members were C.J. Farley - Chairman, Max Biber - Vice-Chairman, Earnest C. Brooks, Florence R. Crane, Joseph J. Gross, Duane L. Waters, and Director Gus Harrison. They reported to Governor George Romney.

The newsletters were divided by division, with each reporting their most important news. The following excerpts are taken from the newsletters:

January 1965

Parole:

A Central Office employee returned to work on schedule after his operation. He is in fine health, although he maintains he is still a little ‘groggy."

Mrs. Tobin presented P.O. (Parole Officer) Tobin with a fine new year's present named Mary Katherine. Congratulations to the parents.

Probation:

Mrs. Francis Dean has been appointed new legal stenographer in the Muskegon Office.

Thomas Bell and Mary Lawrence of the Oakland Office, were married in early November.

Roy Babb is the new Treasurer of the Michigan State Employee's Association.

Camp Program:

S. J. Gilman, Assistant Director in charge of the Camp Program, was recently appointed permanent Chairman of the Camp Program Committee of the American Correctional Association.

Marquette:

A varsity team (employees?) is entered in the Marquette Industrial Hockey League.

Michigan Reformatory:

Lloyd is recovering from a broken leg.

Joseph Wittebols joins the staff as a counselor.  He comes from Genesee County Probation Office.

SPSM:

The vocational school repaired and painted 2,700 toys for the Junior Dorcas toy drive.

Leonard Keeper was promoted from Corrections Officer to Corporal.

John Burch retired from the guard force in November.

Trusty Division:

Eighteen members of the Detroit Eastside Lawn Bowling Club visited to show local bowlers the finer points of lawn bowling.

Ten boxers are training for the winter boxing session.

April 1965

Probation:

Richard Lane has been appointed Assistant District Scout Commisioner for the Boy Scouts.

Robert Pickell of the Flint Office met a group of 15 boys to acquaint them with the work of a probation officer.

Marquette:

The varsity team placed third in the Marquette Industrial League.

Michigan Reformatory:

Dwight Brooks joined the staff as a corrections officer.

Michigan Training Unit:

Captain Thomas Alexander was promoted to Inspector. Lieutenant Whoseth was promted to Captain, and Sergeant Kenneth Reynolds was promted to Lieutenant.

SPSM:

The Braille Transcribing Service transcribed 533,900 pages last year, twice the previous year.

Trusty Division:

Maintenance installed four bowling alleys. Trusty now has eight alleys and 18 teams can compete.