Michigan Department of Corrections Warden Melinda Braman named National Warden of the Year

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Kyle Kaminski
517-242-1233

Michigan Department of Corrections Warden Melinda Braman named National Warden of the Year

Lansing - Warden Melinda “Mindy” Braman of the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan was recently selected as the Warden of the Year by the North American Association of Wardens & Superintendents (NAAWS). This is the highest national honor available to individuals who oversee the operation of a prison.

“I am proud and pleased that the North American Association of Wardens & Superintendents has recognized something that we have known in the MDOC for years, which is that Warden Melinda Braman is an exemplary leader who is not only making a difference in Michigan, but is also advancing effective correctional practices nationally”, said Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi E. Washington. “First as a Deputy Warden and then as a Warden, Mindy has helped lead the team that has made the Handlon Correctional Facility a national model as the first prison in the nation to operate a Vocational Village and the home of the Calvin Prison Initiative. Her commitment to her colleagues at the facility, as well as the broader goal of making Michigan safer by investing in long-term public safety through education, make her a most deserving recipient of this award”.

Warden Braman was nominated for the award in late 2023 and was selected from a national pool of correctional facility leaders. The award is chosen by a selection committee made up of NAAWS officers and board members, as well as former award recipients. Warden Braman was formally honored with the award at the recent NAAWS national conference, which took place in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility is in Ionia, Michigan. It is a Level II prison that houses roughly 1,200 incarcerated individuals. It has a mix of specialized units for those with mental health or adaptive skills needs, general population, as well as a Vocational Village and the Calvin Prison Initiative. The Vocational Villages operated by the MDOC are the most immersive and high-quality career and technical education programs offered within prisons nationally. The Calvin Prison Initiative is a formal partnership between Calvin University and the Michigan Department of Corrections that began in 2015 to bring accredited classes to the facility taught by Calvin University staff. To date, over 70 students have graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the nationally recognized program.

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