The Veterans Unit at Saginaw Correctional Facility is a one-of-a-kind housing unit that is dedicated and designed specifically for honorably discharged veterans incarcerated in Michigan. It provides an environment that connects residents with direct access to specialized services, dedicated Veterans Affairs (VA) representatives, and unique programing.

Since 2018, Corrections Program Coordinator Dennis Schur has been the heart of the MDOC Veterans Unit. A Marine veteran himself, he will celebrate 28 total years of service with the department this coming January.

Within the unit, Schur and his team continue to foster an environment of stability and respect that motivates residents to stay free from misconducts and helps them prepare for successful reentry into their community once their time is complete.

She is a lead dentist on the team at Egeler Reception and Guidance Center that provides dental screenings and treatment for every male prisoner who enters MDOC custody. She's also a veteran who served as a garrison dentist in the Army Dental Corps.

Dr. Carla Maxwell has been with the department for 14 years, a tenure she attributes to her commitment to public health. She says she has always had that passion, but her service in the Army shaped her path.

Today she is often seeing patients who have not had dental care in years, if ever. She finds her experiences seeing people from a wide range of backgrounds on-base in the Army helpful in treating the widely diverse population she now sees. More than that she keeps close attention to detail, process, and procedure - a skill she gained from her service.

Dr. Maxwell didn't plan on practicing dentistry in a prison, but she hadn't planned to join the Army either. In her life, dedication to serving others and making a difference have led her to impact public health in these ways.

Glenn has always had a love for dogs, but because of his time as a handler for Blue Star Service Dogs while incarcerated at Thumb Correctional Facility, he has now made dog training a career. Blue Star trains shelter dogs to assist veterans and first responders who experience PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, seizures, or other difficult impacts of their service.

Blue Star partners with Saginaw, Thumb, and Woodland Center Correctional Facilities where dogs work with an incarcerated handler, who they live and train with 24/7 for several months at a time. After their obedience training is complete, they are then matched with a veteran or first responder whom their personality fits.

Glenn was a part of training numerous service dogs while at TCF. After he paroled, he was hired on full-time at Blue Star's center in Livingston County to provide the dogs specialized training. He got out and began the job four days later! He now works directly with veterans and first responders to tailor their new service dogs' skills to their needs.

He works to teach the dogs up to 30 tasks - like finding an exit, disrupting a nightmare, or picking up a dropped item. Before that training begins, he assesses each person's needs and abilities to assist the Blue Star team in matching a specific dog to a specific veteran.

Glenn remarks that his colleagues, and the veterans and first responders they serve, have been incredibly accepting of him - they respect the skills he has developed as a trainer along his path. Likewise, the Blue Star team emphasized that Glenn has been an incredible addition to their staff.

Claude Beck is currently immersed in training at our officer recruit academy, but before that he spent several years as an EMT, a firefighter, and a professional golfer. Before those ventures he was in the U.S. Army before sustaining an injury, becoming temporarily paralyzed.

He says he’s been searching for the sense of comradery he had found in the Army ever since he finished his service. After several weeks working closely with training officers, facility staff, and his peer recruits, Recruit Beck is optimistic he has found a team he can trust.

After 8 weeks of intensive training at the academy he will transition to on-the-job training at Saginaw Correctional Facility. He is looking forward to once again donning a uniform and serving his community, by both promoting public safety and impacting the prison population he will interact with to better themselves.

But for now, Claude is excited to continue learning the ins and outs of corrections and beginning a career where he can count on being able to provide for his family.