Policy statement | Prisons & Corrections Section of the State Bar of Michigan
Below is an excerpt from a Prisons & Corrections Section of the State Bar of Michigan statement on extending parole terms for those who owe restitution. Click here to read the full report to view the entire statement.
“. . . It is currently the policy of the Department of Corrections to extend the parole term of all parolees who continue to owe restitution at the end of their standard parole terms. For example, if an individual has a maximum ten year sentence, and is released after two years of incarceration, that individual would typically be discharged after completing a two-year parole term. However, if the individual still owes restitution, the parole term would be extended to the max date, resulting in an eight-year parole term, rather than a two-year parole term.
The Prisons and Corrections Section believes that, in light of the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI) and the state’s budget crisis, it is time for the Department of Corrections to revisit this policy. MPRI recognizes that parole agents play a critical role in helping released prisoners reintegrate into society, and demands that agents be actively involved in assisting parolees. These heightened responsibilities are difficult to fulfill unless agent caseloads are kept to manageable levels. When individuals are extended on parole due to the inability to pay restitution, rather than because they present a continuing danger to society, this diverts the attention of agents away from parolees who need closer supervision to those who have already successfully completed their regular parole term . . .”