Kinross Correctional Facility (KCF) is a

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

for men. It is located in the eastern

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula of ...

, in Chippewa County on the south side of Kincheloe, adjacent to

Chippewa County International Airport Chippewa County International Airport is a public use airport in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. It is located south of the central business district of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The airport is owned by the Chippewa County Econom ...

. The original facility closed in October 2015, with most of the inmates relocating to the formerly closed

Hiawatha Correctional Facility Kinross Correctional Facility (KCF) is a Michigan prison for men. It is located in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in Chippewa County on the south side of Kincheloe, adjacent to Chippewa County International Airport. The original facil ...

. Upon the move, the Kinross Correctional Facility name was transferred to the reopened complex.

History

The original Kinross Correctional Facility closed in October 2015, with most of the inmates and the name moving to the formerly closed Hiawatha Correctional Facility.

Original facility

The original Kinross Correctional Facility was opened on January 16, 1978, on the barracks grounds of the former

Kincheloe Air Force Base Kincheloe Air Force Base was a United States Air Force (USAF) base during the Cold War. Built in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1943 during World War II, the base was in service The base was known by various names, including Kinross Munic ...

with an original capacity of 495 prisoners - which was increased to approximately 700 shortly after. At it was the largest fenced area of any state prison in Michigan. The original facility was closed in October 2015, having gained the ability to house almost 1,600 inmates. Approximately 1,280 inmates were relocated to the previously closed Hiawatha Correctional Facility and 300 transferred to the neighboring

Chippewa Correctional Facility Chippewa Correctional Facility (URF) is a prison for men located in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan and part of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). The 3 letter designation for this facility is URF. General The Chippewa Correctio ...

. The move was made when it was determined that it would be less costly to update the security at the Hiawatha facility than the original prison. The original facility was larger and held more inmates but had been converted from Air Force barracks in 1978, whereas Hiawatha was purposely built as a prison.

Hiawatha Correctional Facility

Hiawatha Correctional Facility (HTF) was built as a prison near the Kinross facility and opened in 1989. The facility closed in August 2009. It was reopened and renamed Kinross Correctional Facility when that facility closed in October 2015.

Escape attempts

Over the course of two years, four inmates dug a tunnel from their cell to the outside of the perimeter fence of the original facility. The plot was only discovered in March 2007, after the tunnel had been completed but the escape had to be delayed in order to find a getaway driver. On July 15, 2010, Three inmates, all men convicted of mass murders, hijacked a supply truck at the prison and attempted to escape from the original facility by breaking it through a fence. The truck was unable to break through, getting stuck on the razor-wire. Seth Privacky, in prison for the murder of five members of his family, was shot and killed by guards as he attempted to flee the truck. The other two gave up when the truck became stuck.

Facility

The current facility is composed of eight level II housing units, which can accommodate up to 1,280 prisoners. KCF also maintains a housing unit near the site of the former facility housing 320 level I prisoners. The 50 acre prison has ten buildings which includes an administration building, programs building, maintenance, food service and indoor activity areas.

Security

The facility is surrounded by two fences with razor-ribbon wire with electronic security devices. Armed staff are also utilized to maintain perimeter security.

Services

The facility offers education programs, substance-abuse treatment, religious services,

group psychotherapy Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, i ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

gardening Gardening is the process of growing plants for their vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and appearances within a designated space. Gardens fulfill a wide assortment of purposes, notably the production of Aesthetics, aesthetically pleasing area ...

, a music program, and

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activities. Onsite medical and dental care are supplemented by local community providers, the Brooks Medical Center at Marquette Branch Prison and the Duane L. Waters Hospital in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

. There is vocational training available in auto repair, construction, custodial maintenance, business education technology, and

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

. Prisoners in vocational training are also involved in constructing homes with

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...

. The prison also has chapters of

Vietnam Veterans of America Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. (VVA) is a national non-profit corporation founded in 1978 in the United States that is committed to serving the needs of all veterans. It is funded without any contribution from any branch of government. VVA is t ...

and

United States Junior Chamber The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI). ...

Notable inmates

Notable inmates at Kinross Correctional Facility have included: *

Jack Kevorkian Murad Jacob Kevorkian (May 26, 1928 – June 3, 2011) was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is not a crime" ...

Joel Dufresne Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" in Hebrew and may refer to: * Joel (given name), including a list of people named Joel or Yoel * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazilian football ...

, a reverend with the Church of Creativity * Seth Privacky *

Binary Star (hip hop group) Binary Star is a hip-hop project by rapper One Be Lo (also known as OneManArmy), and was formerly a duo with rapper Senim Silla. The pair met in high school and formed the group in 1998 during their time in Hiawatha Correctional Facility. H ...

References

External links

*
Michigan Department of Corrections
{{Authority control 1978 establishments in Michigan Buildings and structures in Chippewa County, Michigan Prisons in Michigan