Feds Sue Michigan Over Staffing At Women's Prison

DETROIT (AP) — The federal government says the state of Michigan is violating the rights of female guards by restricting transfers and insisting that males can't fill certain jobs at a prison for women.

The lawsuit filed Monday in Detroit involves the Huron Valley prison near Ann Arbor. The U.S. Justice Department says 85 percent of guards there are female, a result of problems years ago when male guards sexually assaulted prisoners.

But the government says females are forced to work mandatory overtime, and some employees seeking a transfer must find another woman to fill her spot. The government says there are jobs that could be handled by men.

There was no immediate comment from the Corrections Department.

Separately, male guards are suing the state over the lack of opportunities at Huron Valley.

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