News | Corrections spending | Cost cutting | Privatization | Business | February 14, 2012

By John Bebow, Bridge Magazine

My written testimony for a meeting today of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections:

“Good afternoon. Thank you Senator (John) Proos and fellow members of the committee for the opportunity to speak with you today.

In 2008, the Center for Michigan organized a diverse group of business, nonprofit and public sector organizations all concerned with the exploding costs of prisons in our state. We formed a Corrections Reform Coalition out of one urgent, shared concern – the ever-growing costs of corrections in Michigan were overshadowing many other strategic priorities for the state’s future at a time when state budget resources were increasingly scarce.

Over the past several years, the coalition has met many times with the executive branch, members of the House and Senate, the leadership of the Michigan Department of Corrections and numerous other law enforcement and social service groups to learn about state prison spending and seek ways to reduce it.

Read>> Cut prison spending, CFM (Center for Michigan) tells senate panel