Michigan Department Of Corrections Plans To Close Detroit Prison In January

(CBS DETROIT) - The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to close one of its prisons in January.

The department will shut down the Detroit Reentry Center located on Detroit's east side according to the Detroit Free Press.

The facility has the capacity to house 879 people but its current population is 70 prisoners. It has averaged about 500 annually over the past three years, the Free Press reports.

MDOC cites a falling prisoner population and a recidivism rate - which measures the percentage of people who return to prison within three years of release - that has dipped to an all-time low, according to the Free Press.

The Detroit Reentry Center employs 220 people. 129 are corrections officers. MDOC says it will work with staff and their union representatives to determine their options for transferring to other prisons, the Free Press reports.

© 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.