The cities of Standish and Muskegon are hopefully optimistic after yesterday's news that their prisons may be spared.
The two facilities are being offered to California to house inmates from that state's overcrowded prisons.
But some corrections officers are still upset that Michigan prisoners will have to be released to make room for inmates from California.
Paul Piche has been a corrections officer for 24 years, and he was one of about 30 people holding signs across the road from his prison, Standish Maximum, on Monday.
"Were protesting the fact that the governor wants to, she wants to close eight additional prisons and let thousands, and upwards of 6,000 convicted felons back on the street," said Piche.
Piche's sign, like many of those held by the picketers, expressed anger towards Governor Granholm.
She ordered the prisons closed to help eliminate a $1.7 billion dollar budget deficit.
Yesterday's protest was before the news that Standish Maximum could stay open, housing prisoners from California.
But Piche believes that releasing Michigan inmates to make room for inmates from California is a bad idea.
"The governor's getting paid to protect these citizens, and she's, she's made an error, a grave error, in letting these people out and closing these prisons," he said. "We're just not going to let it happen. It cannot happen. You cannot close eight additional corrections facilities in the State of Michigan and think it's okay. We know there's a budget crisis, we know things are bad. But there's other alternatives."
Standish would be particularly hard hit should its prison close.
The city would lose close to 45 percent of its water and sewer revenue alone.
Area schools could also lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in per-pupil funding as corrections officers transfer to other facilities, moving their families with them.
The two facilities are being offered to California to house inmates from that state's overcrowded prisons.
But some corrections officers are still upset that Michigan prisoners will have to be released to make room for inmates from California.
Paul Piche has been a corrections officer for 24 years, and he was one of about 30 people holding signs across the road from his prison, Standish Maximum, on Monday.
"Were protesting the fact that the governor wants to, she wants to close eight additional prisons and let thousands, and upwards of 6,000 convicted felons back on the street," said Piche.
Piche's sign, like many of those held by the picketers, expressed anger towards Governor Granholm.
She ordered the prisons closed to help eliminate a $1.7 billion dollar budget deficit.
Yesterday's protest was before the news that Standish Maximum could stay open, housing prisoners from California.
But Piche believes that releasing Michigan inmates to make room for inmates from California is a bad idea.
"The governor's getting paid to protect these citizens, and she's, she's made an error, a grave error, in letting these people out and closing these prisons," he said. "We're just not going to let it happen. It cannot happen. You cannot close eight additional corrections facilities in the State of Michigan and think it's okay. We know there's a budget crisis, we know things are bad. But there's other alternatives."
Standish would be particularly hard hit should its prison close.
The city would lose close to 45 percent of its water and sewer revenue alone.
Area schools could also lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in per-pupil funding as corrections officers transfer to other facilities, moving their families with them.
