Protestors showed up outside the state's Department of Corrections offices in downtown Lansing Thursday, demanding the end of harassment of gay and transgender inmates in state prisons.
They say inmates at the Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson County were harassed by guards, and were retaliated against when they reported it.
One protester told us it starts with better training for prison staff. Duncan Tarr said, "When a prison guard can harass prisoners in a homophobic or transphobic way than that sort of gives a green light for other people to do the same sort of behavior."
Fox 47 News talked with a spokesman for the DOC who said the complaints were taken seriously, and we sent them to the DOC's inspector, which is the highest possible level. He also told us no evidence of wrongdoing was found, and the department will continue to look into any specific allegations.
