MDOC Prisoner Funeral Services

The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 240000002204 on May 10, 2024, to procure comprehensive funeral services for deceased prisoners housed in Michigan correctional facilities, county jails, and hospitals. The contractor must provide 24/7 availability with response within four hours of MDOC notification and deliver services including body removal and transportation, embalming, cremation, burial containers, family viewing, and transportation to final resting places. Mandatory qualifications include cold body storage facilities located within Michigan that comply with applicable laws, at least one licensed funeral director on staff, and statewide service capability. Pricing must be firm for the three-year base contract term (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027) with adjustment requests permitted during optional renewal years supported by documented cost justification. The RFP evaluation criteria weighted technical proposals at 100 points across multiple sections addressing the Statement of Work, vendor questions, and Service Level Agreements, with proposals requiring a minimum score of 80 technical points to proceed to price evaluation; qualified disabled veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned business status will be considered in award determination. The bidder question deadline was May 23, 2024, and proposals are due at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on June 20, 2024, with contract commencement anticipated for October 1, 2024, and the option to renew for up to five additional one-year periods at the State's sole discretion.

The procurement includes no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though disabled veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned business status qualifies for consideration during award evaluation. The incumbent contractor is Sherwood Funeral Home, currently operating under contract number 190000001166 with a prior award value of $940,000, indicating the anticipated contract value range. MDOC averages approximately 100 prisoner deaths annually, though no guaranteed minimum number of deaths is specified for any contract year, meaning actual service volumes may vary. Contractors must comply with extensive regulatory requirements including the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards, MDOC Vendor Rules and Regulations, and CFA Security Regulations training requirements prior to facility access. All contractors and subcontractors must undergo background checks at the State's discretion, complete approximately six hours of annual training delivered via email post-award, and maintain compliance with confidentiality protocols, discriminatory harassment prohibitions, and zero-tolerance sexual abuse policies. Financial responsibility for unclaimed or abandoned remains rests with the State, with disposition costs reimbursed per Schedule B pricing, and the State will provide necessary IT policies and standards to the awarded vendor upon contract execution.