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Low Population Leads To Detroit Prison Closure

(CBS DETROIT) – The Michigan Department of Corrections Plans to close one of its 29 prisons as the population of a Detroit Detention Center falls to an all-time low.

The Detroit Reentry Center on Ryan Road is months away from its final days.

MDOC made the announcement following talks in the state legislature about the budget.

The state's over-all prison population is down 32 percent.

"Certainly, we have seen lower crime around the state in the last few years. The numbers have gone down. The number of people coming to prison has gone down and thankfully the number of people who are violating their parole has come down and that's where a lot of the population came from," said Chris Gautz, Michigan Department of Corrections Spokesperson.

State detention officials say the January closure will save the department $12.3 million.

DRC is designed to accommodate 800-900 inmates but over the last three years the facility has been seeing an average of 500.

"Those who violated parole we would send them to DRC, that was one function of their mission there. They have three functions. That piece where people that came from parole would go there for some sort of as a time out. We would try to get them some programming and then send them back out so that they can stay on the right path," said Gautz.

Today DRC specializes in housing inmates on dialysis.

Currently only 70 prisoners are serving time at the location.

Upon closure prisoners who need dialysis will be moved to the woodland correctional facility in Livingston County.

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