Lawmakers, Northern Michigan Officials Criticize Closure of Shawano Center in Grayling

Members of the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on Child Welfare System heard testimony Jan. 24 from local officials who said the state's decision to close the Shawano Center in Grayling left a gap in secure placement for violent and high-risk juvenile offenders.

The testimony centered on three witnesses: Roscommon County Prosecutor Michael Edwards, Roscommon County Juvenile Referee Jake Collini, and Otsego County Court Administrator Jamie Fietak, who told the committee the closure was announced by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Jan. 24 but that the replacement Macomb County facility is not ready to receive juveniles.

Why it matters: Northern Lower Michigan officials said Shawano served as a centrally located state-operated residential option for male juveniles with extreme behavioral challenges. Witnesses said removing that option increases risks to communities and families, pushes youth into more expensive private placements or back into homes before programming is complete, and strains scarce local resources.

Roscommon County Prosecutor Michael Edwards told the panel the closure "simply lacks honesty, foresight, and transparency," and said the state27s stated reasons24that the Macomb facility is "newer, more modern" and that Shawano needed significant repairs24did not match his observations or publicly available information about services Shawano…