Keith Barber, Ombudsman
Keith earned an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Macomb Community College and completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University in 1982. He first began with LCO as a student intern and was honored to be hired as a field investigator with the office following graduation. Keith’s first assignment was participating in a Post Disturbance Tension Report for the Michigan Legislature following the 1981 prison riots to assist the Legislature with ongoing concerns regarding prison conditions. During Keith’s time with LCO, Michigan embarked on the largest prison expansion program in the State’s history, with the prisoner population increasing three times the amount when he first began his career. He was appointed Chief Investigator in June 2003, and was named Ombudsman in November 2008.It is Keith’s desire to provide effective and responsive services to the Michigan Legislature, as well as the public and prisoner populations LCO serves. He is committed to assisting Michigan Legislators and their constituents with investigating, resolving and responding to complaints regarding the State Corrections system, providing impartial information and advice related to Corrections issues, and offering guidance for proposed legislation impacting the Corrections system.
A’Keydra Abrams, Analyst
A’Keydra joined the Ombudsman Office in October 2017 as an Analyst Assistant. In this position she is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations relating to the administrative actions, policies and procedures of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Gathers evidence and information, conducts research to analyze issues and complaints, makes recommendations and executes response.A’Keydra was promoted to an Analyst in July 2019 with increased responsibilities for prison visits and more in-depth investigations.
A'Keydra earned 2 bachelor degrees from Grand Valley State University in Criminal Justice and Public and nonprofit Administration with an emphasis in Economic Development. After graduation she began working as a Patient Advocate for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America helping to fight negative stigmatisms associated with the disease and make visits to the patients to find out their needs. She also worked as a Resident Coordinator for the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program (KPEP). It was here that she got hands on experience with offenders one on one and learned more about the MDOC.
Mike Banks, Senior Lead Analyst
Mike joined the Ombudsman office in January 2016 as an Analyst. In this position he is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations relating to the administrative actions, policies and procedures of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Gathers evidence and information, conducts research to analyze issues and complaints, makes recommendations and executes response.Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Human studies from Michigan State University and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Davenport University. His professional background consists of working in human services, primarily residential and foster care. Prior to joining the Ombudsman office, he worked at Lutheran Social Services of Michigan as Residential Refugee Program Supervisor.
Griffin Dean, Senior Analyst
Griffin started working with the Ombudsman office in January 2017 as an Analyst Assistant and was promoted to an Ombudsman Analyst in July 2017. In this position, Griffin conducts comprehensive investigations into prisoner complaints from eight facilities across the state. He strives to provide clear, effective, and transparent communication to prisoners, legislators, and constituents.Griffin earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Michigan in 2016. While in college, he was actively involved in the Detroit Partnership, a service learning partnership between the University of Michigan and the city of Detroit. He also served as an English as a Second-Language (ESL) tutor for recent immigrants.
Eric Mattson, Chief Analyst
Eric joined the Ombudsman office in May 2012 as an Analyst. In this position he is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations relating to the administrative actions, policies and procedures of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). During the course of investigations, he gathers evidence and information, conducts research to analyze issues and complaints, makes recommendations to MDOC or the Legislature, and provides explanations to prisoners and Legislator constituents.Eric earned a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and Master’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University. While earning his degree, Eric worked as a teaching assistant at MSU and also volunteered as a juvenile court officer intern for the 30th Judicial Court in Lansing. Eric spent a summer as an intern for the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.
Alexis Noffke, Analyst
Alexis joined the Ombudsman in October 2018 as an Analyst. In this position she is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations relating to the administrative actions, policies and procedures of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). She gathers evidence and information, conducts research to analyze issues and complaints, provides explanations to prisoners and Legislators, and makes recommendations to the MDOC or the Legislature.Alexis earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Michigan State University and Master’s degree in Violence, Terrorism and Security from Queen’s University Belfast. Prior to joining the Ombudsman, she worked at Children of Prisoners Europe as a Research Consultant.
Michelle Reed, Executive Secretary
Michelle Reed became the Administrative Secretary for LCO in August 2015. She provides support services for 7 staff including mail processing and initial response, database management, managing the email and telephone systems, as well as streamlining office procedures to help the office operate effectively and efficiently. In short, Michelle is the backbone of our agency.Michelle brings over 14 years of administrative experience. Before joining the LCO team, Michelle worked as a Program Center Assistant at Northwood University for 7 years. Michelle is currently working on earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration through Northwood University’s Adult Degree Program in Lansing.
James Yen, Analyst
James joined the Ombudsman office in July 2018 as an intern and was later hired as an Ombudsman Analyst in October 2018. In this position, he is responsible for conducting comprehensive investigations relating to the administrative actions, policies and procedures of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). During the course of investigations, he gathers evidence and information, conducts research to analyze issues and complaints, makes recommendations to MDOC or the Legislature, and provides explanations to prisoners and Legislator constituents.James graduated with honor from Michigan State University (MSU) in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a specialization in Security Management. He has experience working in Corrections in both the United States and internationally. He completed the Inside Out Program, a weekly program offered at MSU that takes place within a MDOC correctional facility. He also worked as an Intern at the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department in 2016, conducting comprehensive research and policy analysis