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I-94 In Jackson County To Honor Fallen Prison Guards

Jackson skyline photo
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WKAR-MSU

A portion of Interstate 94 in Jackson County will honor two prison guards who were killed by inmates more than 30 years ago.

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill Tuesday designating part of I-94 as the "Corrections Officers Jack Budd and Josephine McCallum Memorial Highway." The law takes effect in three months.

Corrections Director Heidi Washington says the officers gave their lives protecting the state, and honoring their memory is a "great way to remind others of the sacrifice they made."

In 1987, McCallum was sexually assaulted and strangled by a prisoner at the then-State Prison of Southern Michigan. Later that year, Budd was stabbed by an inmate.

Their deaths led to major changes — including increased training, more staff and dividing the prison into smaller, more manageable facilities.

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