Article: Jackson corrections officer talks about mental health toll of working in a prison (Michigan Radio)

By STATESIDE STAFF• APR 9, 2019

In the past two years, the Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson has lost four correctional officers to suicide. Earlier this month, his family and co-workers honored Michael Perdue, a long-time CO at Cotton, who died by suicide this year. 

Corrections officers across the state are hoping these tragic losses will bring attention to the pressures of working in prisons.

Cary Johnson has been a corrections officer at Cotton since 1995, and she is part of an effort by the Michigan Corrections Organization, the union representing corrections officers, to better understand the mental health issues that impact prison staff, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Johnson says that Michael Perdue’s suicide had a ripple effect throughout the prison.

Continue reading and listen to the audio of the interview here.